More than a month since walking away from Test cricket, Rohit Sharma has again posted a nostalgic cricket update, this time one of great appreciation for his extended association with the Indian team.
On Instagram, Rohit shared a photo of his helmet with the BCCI logo and the Indian tricolour, captioned ‘Forever grateful’ and dated 23/06/07, the day he made his India debut.
That date June 23, 2007 is significant because it represents the first international game of Rohit’s cricketing career, which means that this is his 18th year as an Indian player.
Rohit debuted in an ODI against Ireland at age 19. Though he did not receive the chance to bat during that match, it laid the groundwork for one of India’s most iconic cricket careers.
Rohit Sharma’s Instagram story. 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/4Pf7tGBIwy
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) June 23, 2025
Humble Beginnings and a Quiet Start
Rohit’s early foray in international cricket was limited. He was dismissed for a mere 8 runs in his second match against South Africa and didn’t have another significant chance until September that year.
In India’s landmark game where Yuvraj Singh smacked six sixes against Stuart Broad, Rohit did not get to bat. But the next day, he impressed with an unbeaten half-century against South Africa, providing a glimpse of his potential.
Now, with both his Test and T20I career phases over, Rohit seems all ready to channel his energies solely into the 2027 ODI World Cup, barely more than two years from now.
Two Different Phases of a Brilliant Career
Rohit’s career can be best understood in two halves. For the first half decade, from 2007 to 2012, he gave glimpses of brilliance but never quite nailed down his spot. All that changed in 2013 when MS Dhoni sent him in to open the innings in the Champions Trophy. Thereafter, Rohit became one of the most explosive batsmen of the game.
His association with Shikhar Dhawan boomed as India’s second most successful ODI opening combination after Ganguly and Tendulkar. They were 5,148 runs and had achieved 18 century stands together.
Rohit’s peak was in the 2019 World Cup when he first player to achieve five hundreds in a tournament edition. In 2019, he was awarded with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award.
Leadership and Breaking a Trophy Drought
Rohit was appointed captain of India’s ODI and T20I sides in November 2021, soon after Rahul Dravid became the head coach.
The beginning was tumultuous, India bowed out early from the Asia Cup and lost badly to England in the 2022 T20 World Cup semifinal. But those losses triggered a change.
The team took up a more attacking approach under Rohit’s captaincy. In the 2023 World Cup in India, he led the charge at the top, scoring quick runs. India dominated the group stage with 10 consecutive victories but lost the final to Australia.
Redemption arrived seven months later. Rohit took India to a T20 World Cup title victory against South Africa, remaining unbeaten in the process. That win put an end to India’s lengthy ICC trophy drought.
In March, he again took the team to a title the Champions Trophy becoming the sole Indian skipper other than MS Dhoni to have won two ICC tournaments.
As Rohit marks 18 years in Indian colors, his own journey from a bashful teenager making his debut in Belfast to one of Indian cricket’s most successful captains ever continues to be an inspiring tale of resilience, reinvention, and leadership.
