Ricky Ponting believes Rohit Sharma has set his sights on leading India in the 2027 ODI World Cup, set to be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. Having already guided India to two consecutive ICC titles—the T20 World Cup in 2024 and the Champions Trophy in 2025—Rohit has cemented his legacy as a captain.

Ponting, a two-time World Cup-winning skipper himself, pointed to Rohit’s match-winning 76-run knock in the Champions Trophy final against New Zealand as a strong response to speculation about his retirement. According to Ponting, Rohit’s performance was a clear message that he still has plenty to offer Indian cricket.

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“When you reach this stage of your career, people are always eager to talk about retirement. But when you’re still playing as well as he did in the final, why stop? I think he wanted to silence those discussions and say, ‘I’m still here, I love playing for this team, and I love leading them,’” Ricky Ponting said on the ICC Review.

Ponting further speculated that Rohit’s ambition to continue may stem from unfinished business—the heartbreak of the 2023 ODI World Cup final defeat. The Indian skipper, who was instrumental throughout that tournament, fell agonizingly short of lifting the trophy on home soil. Now, with two ICC trophies under his belt as captain, Rohit could be targeting the one title that has eluded him.

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“The loss in 2023 might still be on his mind. Winning the T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy back-to-back proves he still has what it takes. So why not have one more go at the ODI World Cup? Watching him bat the way he did in the final, you can’t say his time is up,” Ricky Ponting added.

With the 2027 World Cup still over two years away, Rohit’s form and fitness will be key. But if his recent performances are any indication, the Indian captain might just have one last shot at ODI glory.