Rohit Sharma Press Conference Moments (Picture Credit: AFP)
Reports suggest that the third One-Day International (ODI) against England at Lord's on July 19 could be Rohit Sharma's final international match.
For the record, the BCCI selection committee has reportedly informed the 39-year-old that they are moving on from him for the 2027 ODI World Cup cycle and will not retain him in the squad.
Rohit has already stepped away from T20 Internationals and Test cricket. While there is immense speculation regarding his ODI future, neither he nor the BCCI has made an official retirement announcement yet. However, sources indicate the selectors have left the ultimate decision regarding his retirement in his own hands.
Indeed, it seems like the day has come too soon!
If the reports are true, then this will mark the end of an era that has been filled with Rohit’s deadpan, effortless humour and relatable off-the-cuff remarks. Moreover, his knack for adding a touch of humour to the otherwise serious affairs of cricket will always stay unparalleled.
But before the former Indian captain officially announces his retirement, here’s a compilation of Rohit Sharma’s most iconic press conference moments.
Top 5 Rohit Sharma’s most hilarious press conference moments
5) “There was a guy called Rishabh Pant…”: 2024 England Tour of India
Former Indian captain Rohit Sharma's famous response to Ben Duckett's "Bazball" comments took place during a press conference in Dharamshala before the fifth Test of the 2024 India-England series. Duckett had claimed that young Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal's aggressive batting was inspired by the England team's "Bazball" style.
In his press conference, Sharma jokingly shut down the claim, stating: "There was a guy called Rishabh Pant in our team, probably Ben Duckett hasn't seen him play."
Sharma was making the point that India did not need to learn an aggressive style from England because they already had players who naturally batted that way.
4) "Mera kaam nahi hai, sir": 2023 ODI World Cup
The viral video clip in which Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma says "Ye mera kaam nahi hai, sir" (That is not my job, sir) was recorded during the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 Captains' Meet in Ahmedabad.
A journalist asked Rohit how he felt about the 2023 World Cup tiebreaker rule and what suggestions he had for the ICC to avoid a similar situation.
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Rohit playfully rolled his eyes, dismissed the unusual question, and responded in Hindi: "Kya hai yeh? Ye mera kaam nahi hai sir. Ghoshit karna mera kaam nahi hai." (What is this? That is not my job, sir. Declaring the winner is not my job.)
The question and response were then translated into English for the other captains on stage, which left England captain Jos Buttler, Pakistan captain Babar Azam, and others in splits.
3) "I forgot what you asked": IPL 2017
Rohit Sharma has had a few viral moments in which he jokingly admitted to forgetting questions or losing his train of thought during press conferences. Because he is known for his witty and lighthearted interactions, everyone loves clips of him being completely candid with the media.
Former Mumbai Indians captain made the iconic "I forgot what you asked" remark during a pre-match press conference in 2017. A reporter asked a lengthy, multi-part question.
By the time the reporter finished talking, Rohit calmly smiled and said, "I forgot what you asked first," causing the entire room to burst into laughter.
2) “Agar main Pakistan ka coach bana to bilkul bataunga”: 2019 World Cup
Rohit Sharma's most famous "coaching advice" for Pakistan came in the form of a hilarious, tongue-in-cheek response during the 2019 World Cup.
When asked by a Pakistani journalist to give batting tips to a struggling Pakistan lineup, Rohit smiled and replied in Hindi: "Agar main Pakistan ka coach bana to bilkul bataunga, abhi kya bataunga" (If I become the Pakistan coach, I will definitely tell you. What can I say now?).
Aside from this famous joke, the ex-Indian captain generally kept his cricketing advice specific to his own team.
In his leadership role, Rohit focused on giving players the freedom to play their natural game and maintaining a calm, stress-free environment in the dressing room, a strategy he and the team's management actively emphasised during high-pressure matchups like the India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup 2024 clash.
1) "Birthday pe kya bolte hain…. Happy Birthday?": 2019 World Cup
Another time, a reporter asked Rohit for his thoughts on MS Dhoni's upcoming birthday. Instead of a long, emotional speech, Rohit calmly replied that the whole team was travelling, and they would probably just eat cake on the bus and send a photo.
During a 2019 World Cup press conference, when Rohit was asked to send a birthday message to Dhoni. Being his funny self, Rohit got slightly confused about what to say on a birthday and gave an epic, natural response: "Kya bolun yaar, birthday mein kya bola jaata hai... Happy Birthday!"
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