“The same has been said about Dhoni” - Indian legend’s massive statement on Rohit Sharma’s future ahead of IPL 2027

Former Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed the possibility that the 2027 IPL could be Rohit Sharma's last. With next year being the last of this three-year mega auction cycle, many have questioned whether Rohit could call it quits at 40 after IPL 2027.

However, Ashwin pointed to the legendary MS Dhoni as an example, recalling how many claim each season is potentially his last. Yet, at 45, Dhoni remains an active IPL player, despite retiring from international cricket in 2020.

Talking about Rohit Sharma's IPL future on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said (20:48):

"We don't know if he's (Rohit) going to play only one more year or longer. The same has been said about Dhoni, and he has ended up playing for many years and will likely return as a player again next season. In the future, I won't rule out Naman Dhir also as a captaincy option in the future, looking at his clarity and unflappability."

Rohit is the second-leading run-scorer in the IPL with 7,329 runs in 281 matches. The veteran is still an integral part of the Indian ODI side.

"I do believe he'll be traded" - R Ashwin on Hardik Pandya's MI future

Ravichandran Ashwin believes MI will trade ace all-rounder Hardik Pandya ahead of the 2027 IPL season. After IPL 2026, trade rumors have dominated the off-season, with several franchises linked to the potential Hardik trade.

However, the maverick all-rounder remains with the franchise as things stand, despite his poor captaincy in the last three seasons.

"It's almost certain that he (Hardik) won't be with MI unless they try to retain him at the last moment. But I do believe he'll be traded. MI might look for a leg-spinner in the trade, and there were even talks of MI targeting an Indian left-arm pacer from PBKS for Hardik," said Ashwin (via the aforementioned source).

MI have missed the playoffs in two of the three seasons under Hardik from 2024 to 2026. They finished ninth on the points table last season, with Hardik struggling as captain and player.

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