New Delhi: Rohit Sharma had reportedly decided to retire from Test cricket after the 4th Test against Australia in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. However, the Indian skipper changed his decision after his ‘well-wishers’ from the outside urged him not to quit. Rohit was excluded from India’s playing XI for the 5th and final Test match against Australia in Sydney amid his horror run with the bat.
Roht managed only 31 runs in three Test matches before the team management decided to leave him out of the playing XI for the 5th Test as Jasprit Bumrah replaced him as captain. Rohit’s exclusion led to speculations before the Indian skipper in an interview on Day 2 confirmed that he ‘stood down’ from captaincy and is not retiring from Tests anytime soon.
A report in the Times of India has revealed Rohit had decided to quit Test cricket after the 4th Test in Melbourne but was stopped by his ‘well-wishers’. The report didn’t specify who the well-wishers were. The shocking revelation comes at a time when Rohit has been facing intense criticism over trying to use his PR for image correction amid questions over his future in Tests for India.
“Rohit had made up his mind after MCG. Had his well wishers from the outside didn’t force him to change his mind, we could have well seen another retirement in Australia,” a source was quoted as saying by the Times of India.
Rohit’s decision didn’t go down well with Gambhir
Rohit’s U-turn on his Test retirement didn’t go down well with head coach Gautam Gambhir, who was left unhappy. As per the report, Gambhir and Rohit have had multiple differences over the toss, team combination and other decisions ever since the former India batter’s appointment as the head coach of the Indian team last year.
No decision was taken on Rohit’s immediate future in Test cricket in the BCCI review meeting which was attended by the Indian skipper and head coach Gambhir alongside other officials of the BCCI. The team management and the BCCI has decided to not take any knee-jerk actions after India’s debacle in Australia and give Rohit some time.
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma was reportedly set to retire from Tests after the 4th Test against Australia in Melbourne but decided not to after being urged by his ‘well-wishers’ from outside. Gautam Gambhir was left unhappy with Rohit’s decision. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
