'He is preparing...,' Rohit's childhood coach puts batter's retirement plans into perspective

After the failure in the first ODI against Australia, the calls for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to retire grew louder. The duo, however, finished the series in some style with 168-run unbeaten partnership in Sydney even though India lost the three-match series 1-2. Rohit, especially, was on song after he scored just eight runs in the 1st match in Perth. The Hitman scored a fifty in Adelaide before capping the series with an unbeaten hundred. His coach Dinesh Lad now has put the retirement calls in perspective after Rohit's Player of the Series performance in Australia.

Rohit's coach predicts time of retirement

"There were talks that he was not performing, that he should stop playing cricket, but he played two good innings in the last two matches, 75 (73) first and now 120 (121*), and has shown he is still a top player who’ll still contribute to the country… The only secret is his self-confidence. That’s why he hasn’t retired. He wants to play the 2027 World Cup and only retire after that, and he’s preparing for that," said Rohit's childhood coach Lad while talking to PTI Videos after the last match in Sydney on Saturday (Oct 25).

When will Rohit and Kohli play next for India?

India's next ODI assignment is a three-match home series against South Africa which begins November 30 after the two-Test series starting November 14 in Kolkata. After playing South Africa at home, New Zealand will be here for a white-ball tour of three ODIs and five T20Is in January. The Kiwis start the tour with ODI series on January 11. Rohit and Kohli, after the performance in Australia, are expected to play in South Africa ODIs, at least if not a surety against New Zealand.