Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has announced his retirement from Test cricket with immediate effect. The Mumbai cricketer confirmed the decision minutes after reports of his sacking as Test captain went viral. The report claimed Rohit was set to be removed as India’s Test captain after the selectors decided to appoint a new young leader in the five-day format ahead of the upcoming England tour.
There were big question marks on Rohit’s future as Test captain following India’s back-to-back defeats against New Zealand and Australia in their previous two Test series.
After a sedate start to his red-ball career, the 38-year-old opening batter flourished in the second half of his career and finished with 4301 runs in 67 Tests with 12 hundreds and 18 half-centuries at an average of 40.57.
In a social media post, Rohit revealed that he will continue to represent India in the ODI format.
“Hello everyone I would just like to share that I am retiring from Test cricket. It’s been an absolute honour to represent my country in whites. Thank you for all the love and support over the years. I will continue to represent India in the ODI format,” Rohit, who had quit T20Is after leading India to the T20 World Cup title last year, said in a post on social media on Wednesday evening.
Recent struggles in Test reason behind axing and retirement
Rohit was at the helm during one of the most challenging times in India’s Test cricket history when the Asian giants suffered a 0-3 humiliating whitewash against New Zealand at home before losing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 3-1 Down Under against Australia. Rohit, who led India in three of the five matches in Australia, dropped himself from the playing XI in the final Test in Sydney owing to poor form.
He finished with only 36 runs in six innings, the lowest by a touring skipper in a Test series in Australia.
Rohit’s poor form in red-ball cricket was the reason behind his axing, and it is believed that after getting the news of his removal, the Mumbai legend decided to hang up his boots.
The selectors, looking at the future, have been pondering the selection of India’s next captain in Tests. Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant, the two certain starters in the Test team, are believed to be among the list of candidates for the job.
While Rohit struggled to make an impact in Test cricket, he was an influential figure in India’s last three white-ball ICC tournaments. Under his leadership, India romped to the final in the ODI World Cup at home in 2023 before one bad day prevented the Men In Blue from winning the title unbeaten.
However, India went all the way in the next two global events, winning the 2024 T20 World Cup in the Americas and the 2025 Champions Trophy unbeaten.
Rohit Sharma retirement: The 38-year-old Mumbai batter finished with 4301 runs in 67 Tests with 12 hundreds and 18 half-centuries at an average of 40.57. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
