India, March 11 -- This was Sourav Ganguly on 7 October 2008, two days before the start of the first of four Tests against Australia at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium. A routine press conference ended with this dramatic announcement, after which the former skipper flashed a charming smile and walked away without taking questions. Ganguly always had a feel for drama, right?

"One more thing. I'm not going to retire from this format, just to make sure that no rumours are spread moving forward."

So said Rohit Sharma on 9 March 2025, an hour or so after piloting India to their record third Champions Trophy title on Sunday. The rumour mills had been working overtime in the days leading up to the final against New Zealand. Some termed it th...