Right at the end of a lengthy and typically thoughtful valedictory press conference in the bowels of the Dubai International Stadium late on Sunday night, Rohit Sharma provided the pay off that most of India had been hoping for. He’s not going anywhere.
The India captain turns 38 next month. Speculation had mounted that he might sign off his impeccable international career if they won the Champions Trophy.
It would certainly be a glorious way to finish. Their title win over New Zealand was their 23rd win in the space of 24 matches in major competitions.
They have reached the final of the past four ICC events, claiming titles in the T20 World Cup and now the Champions Trophy.
As leader, Rohit has shaped one of the all-time great sides in international cricket. And he is still enjoying it too much to leave the party just yet.
“One more thing,” he said at the end of his exhaustive answer to the last question of the night. "I’m not going to retire from this format, just to make sure that no rumours are spread moving forward.”
So there it is, then. The India juggernaut will rumble on with the same man in the driving seat. The rest of the world, beware.
India’s win in the final might have felt more nervy than at any stage of the competition. The anticipation for the match was extraordinary. Tickets were advertised on resale websites at nearly Dh100,000.
Fans flew in from various points around the globe. The first supporter through the gates started queuing at 8am – five hours before the start of play.
The team he had come to support were celebrating their latest title at 9pm, meaning that supporter had done a 13-hour shift following his team.
Despite the frenzy, India’s players were as assured as they had been throughout the tournament. KL Rahul, in a humorously coarse flash interview post match, suggested he was not as cool as he looked carrying his side through the final overs, but they got the job done with an over and four wickets in hand.
Rohit was proud of his boys. “Someone was telling me in this ICC tournaments we've lost only one game in the last three ICC tournaments that we've played,” Rohit said.
“It's a great, great milestone to have. And that speaks what the kind of team this is. I know we didn't win the World Cup, we lost that final [to Australia in 2023].
“But then we went to T20 and didn’t lose a single game and went on to win the trophy, and here as well. It shows a lot of quality in the team, a lot of depth, a lot of understanding within the group, a lot of enjoyment, a lot of excitement. And that is how we want to play our cricket.”
India faced some controversy during the competition – albeit not of the side’s making. It was pointed out they had an advantage by playing all of their matches at one, neutral venue, in Dubai during a tournament nominally hosted by Pakistan.
Whatever the foibles of the scheduling, Rohit’s side presented an image of the country of which they can be proud, he said.
“Representing India is not a joke,” Rohit said. “Everyone wants to represent India with a lot of integrity and a lot of pride as well.
“That is what all of them go with that kind of pride on the field. Results will go here and there at times, but I think the most important thing with this team that I've seen in the last three years is everyone understanding and doing what is required for the team.
“There has been a lot of shuffle in the batting order. Guys have been given different roles. Some of the match winners are not here. Guys like [Jasprit] Bumrah, [Mohammed] Siraj, who have done exceptionally well for us.
“But sometimes you've got to pick the players who are suitable for the conditions. And that is the understanding we have.
“It is frustrating for the guys who miss out. But again, we try and make those decisions just to make sure that we have enough depth, enough in our bowling, batting, and the team is prepared to tackle any kind of situation that is thrown at us.”
