Rohit Sharma ignites retirement talk with cryptic social media post after Sydney heroics: 'One last time, signing off...

Batting stalwart and former India captain Rohit Sharma sparked rumours of retirement on Sunday after signing off from the tour of Australia on a triumphant note. The ‘Hitman’ flew out of Sydney a day after starring in India's consolation victory over Australia in the third and final ODI with an unbeaten 121 – his 33rd century in the format that helped him win the Player of the Match as well as Player of the Series awards.

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And on Sunday evening, Rohit shared a picture of him entering the Departures Terminal at the Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport on Instagram and X with the caption, “One last time, signing off from Sydney”.

Now the caption doesn’t necessarily hint at the batting icon calling time on his career after bouncing back to form against Australia in Adelaide and Sydney, helping the Men in Blue collect a nine-wicket victory in the latter.

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Both Rohit and fellow batting icon and former captain Virat Kohli have their sights set on bidding the sport goodbye in the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Cricket experts and fans speculate over Rohit’s social media post

And with India not scheduled to visit Australia for the next couple of years after the current white-ball tour, Rohit and Kohli likely made their final appearance on Australian soil with their unbroken 168-run partnership for the second wicket in which the latter remained unbeaten on 74 – his 75th ODI fifty.

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There were, however, some experts and fans who weren’t entirely convinced Rohit’s cyptic post did not allude to a retirement instead of a final appearance Down Under. Here are some of the posts on X which speculate a retirement announcement from the Mumbai Indians star sooner rather than later.

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Both Rohit and Kohli had retired from Twenty20 Internationals last year, and had also quit the Test format in May this year. With the two icons having no part to play in the five-match T20I series in Australia that gets underway on Wednesday, as well as in two-Test series against South Africa next month, they will next be seen in action in the ODI series against the Proteas that takes place between 30 November and 6 December.

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