There have been calls for Rohit Sharma to hang up his boots after India's Champions Trophy triumph over New Zealand on Sunday.
But the Indian captain has ignored those outside voices, asserting he will not retire anytime soon.
Rohit has now received backing from South Africa great A B de Villiers.
Rohit, says AB, has no reason to retire and reckons the skipper could go down as one of the greatest ODI captains of all time.
'Compared to other captains, look at Rohit's win percentage -- it's almost 74 per cent, which is substantially more than any other captain of the past,' de Villiers said on his YouTube channel.
'If he keeps going, he will go down as one of the best ODI captains of all time.'
'Why would he retire? With that kind of record not only as captain but also as a batter. That 76 in the final, giving India a fantastic start, laying the foundation for success and leading from the front when the pressure was at its peak,' de Villiers said.
Rohit smashed an 83-ball 76, playing a pivotal role in India's tricky 252-run chase in the final against New Zealand in Dubai to win the player-of-the-match.
Hailing Rohit's record as both a batter and captain, de Villiers noted: 'Rohit Sharma has got no reason to retire. No reason to take any criticism whatsoever. His record speaks for himself. Not only that, but he has also sort of transformed his game,' he said.
'If we have a look at his strike rate in the Powerplay it was quite low for an opening batter but since 2022 his strike rate has risen to 115 in the first owerplay and that's the difference between good and great.
'It's transforming your own game and it never stops. You have always something to learn and something to do better.'
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