Rohit walks away from Test cricket

India’s captain Rohit Sharma has announced his retirement from Test cricket, effective immediately, marking a significant milestone in his illustrious career. The 37-year-old, who previously stepped down from T20 International duties following India’s victory at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, conveyed his decision via an Instagram story.

He also clarified that he will remain available for One Day International (ODI) selection. Despite recent indications of ongoing engagement with Test cricket—such as his expressed enthusiasm for leading the Indian team alongside key bowlers Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj during upcoming series in England—Rohit’s sudden announcement appears to be a reactive decision.

Reports suggest that the withdrawal was influenced by an internal communication from the selection panel to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), indicating plans to appoint a new captain. BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla confirmed that Rohit’s decision was entirely his own, emphasising that the cricket board exerted no external pressure.

Rohit’s retirement underscores the need for India to quickly appoint a new full-time Test captain ahead of the upcoming five-match series in England scheduled to commence on June 20 at Headingley.

The Indian selection committee is expected to finalise the Test squad in the coming weeks, with a key focus on identifying a suitable captain. While Jasprit Bumrah remains a potential candidate, assigning leadership to a fast bowler—especially one returning from injury—poses challenges.

Rohit Sharma concludes his Test career with 4,301 runs in 67 matches, averaging 40.57. His Test record includes 12 centuries and 18 half-centuries, with a career-high score of 212 against South Africa in Ranchi in October 2019.

Although his initial foray into Test cricket—marked by two centuries in his debut series against the West Indies—raised hopes, his subsequent performances over the next five years did not fully meet expectations. During this period, Rohit’s average stood at 39.62 in 27 Tests, marginally above the top-six batting average of 38.02.

However, a pivotal transformation occurred when Rohit took on the role of opening batter, revealing his true potential. Over the next five years, he became one of India’s premier Test batsmen and ranked among the world's best in this format.

He scored three more hundreds in this period, finished with an average of 50.03—well above the top-six average of 41.97—and posted his career-best series during England’s 2021 tour, where he faced 866 balls and scored 103 runs in Dharamsala in March 2024. Despite this peak, Rohit has struggled for consistency lately, managing only one fifty since his last century.

As captain, Rohit has led India in 24 Tests since taking over from Virat Kohli in 2022, securing 12 wins—a commendable record that ranks second among Indian captains behind Kohli. Under his leadership, India reached the final of the 2023 World Test Championship, though they were defeated by Australia.

The recent series have been challenging, including a 3-0 home defeat to New Zealand—the first at home in 12 years—and a 3-1 loss to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Rohit was dropped for the decisive fifth Test against Australia following a slump in form.

His decision to step away from Test cricket may impact his future in ODIs, where he has been a cornerstone of Indian success, including winning the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. Rohit retired from T20 International cricket after triumphing in the 2024 T20 World Cup, and he is expected to continue playing ODIs through the 2027 World Cup.

However, maintaining top form across formats with a focused, single-format approach could pose challenges related to fitness and match readiness.

Rohit Sharma remains one of India’s most outstanding cricketers, particularly in ODIs. He set a world record in 2014 with an individual ODI score of 264 against Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens, Kolkata—an innings featuring 33 fours and nine sixes, and his second double-century in ODIs. He is notably the only player to score three double centuries in the format, cementing his legacy as one of India’s finest limited-overs batsmen.

At 37 years and 60 days old, Rohit Sharma became the oldest captain to win a T20 World Cup. He is also the second-oldest captain to lift an ICC tournament trophy, surpassed only by Imran Khan, who was 39 years and 172 days old when Pakistan defeated England in the 1992 ODI World Cup final.

Rohit’s (8-0) undefeated record as captain in T20 finals includes six victories with Mumbai Indians and two with India. Only MS Dhoni has won more T20 finals as captain, with nine wins out of 15 finals.

This victory marks Rohit’s 11th T20 final win out of the 12 he has participated in; only Dwayne Bravo (17), Kieron Pollard (16), and Shoaib Malik (15) have more T20 final wins than Rohit.

Overall, Rohit has captained India in 62 T20 Internationals, winning 49 of them—more than any other leader in T20I history, surpassing Babar Azam’s 48. Under his leadership, India has lost only 12 T20Is, with another game ending in a tie that India subsequently won in the super over.

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