Asked "How Much Cricket Will Rohit Sharma Play", Gautam Gambhir Gives Fiery Reply To Reporter

India head coach Gautam Gambhir refused to give clarity on Rohit Sharma's future during the press conference after the team's win against Australia in Champions Trophy semi-final.

Questions over Rohit Sharma's future continue to occupy the minds of fans, experts and all those connected with the game even as the India skipper took the team to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final, with a win against Australia on Tuesday. As India head coach Gautam Gambhir attended the press conference at the end of the match, he was asked about his honest opinion on how long Rohit can continue to play for the national team after the Champions Trophy concludes. Gambhir ducked the question, and instead, went on to praise the skipper for setting the right tempo from the start. Gambhir on Rohit Future Fabulous answer gazab jawab diya hai hum impact se judge karte naki averages se and yes Rohit will play Wc 2027 well said Gautam (Courtesy ICC) #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/CCODXUe6IO

While Gambhir didn't share much light on Rohit's international future, he did confirm that it's the Hitman's 'impact' with which he is evaluated and not his 'numbers'. While the head coach's refusal to confirm Rohit's future ahead of the Champions Trophy final is understood, the fact that he completely dodged the question could hint that something is already being planned.

Reporter: "Tell me about Rohit, the form he's in, how much cricket do you think he'll still play?"

"Look, the final of the Champions Trophy is now coming up. What can I say before that? If your captain bats with such a tempo, it just gives a very good signal to the dressing room that we want to be absolutely fearless and courageous. You evaluate from the runs; we evaluate from the impact. That's the difference. You evaluate from the stats; we evaluate from the impact. As journalists, as experts, you only look at numbers, averages. But as a coach, as a team, we don't look at numbers or averages. If the captain puts up his hand first, then there is nothing better than that for the dressing room," Gambhir said in the post-match press conference.