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Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma announces Test retirement amid reports of removal from captaincy

Rohit Sharma announces his Test retirement

In a major update emerging from the Indian Test camp, Rohit Sharma has announced his retirement from the format. The announcement comes minutes after reports suggested his removal from India's captaincy post in the longer format. The latest report mentioned the BCCI's intention to opt for a fresh face in the role ahead of the start of the new WTC cycle. Team India will kick off the new WTC cycle with the India Tour of England, scheduled to begin on June 20. Meanwhile, Rohit's retirement follows an extended dry slump in the format, during which the team suffered heavy losses at home and in Australia.

Rohit Sharma announces Test retirement ahead of the new WTC Cycle

As IPL 2025 keeps the cricket fans across the nation engaged in T20 action, Team India is swiftly transitioning for the next WTC cycle. The 2023-25 Test cycle concluded disappointingly for the team led by Rohit Sharma. Before the start of the conclusive phase, India sat as one of the strongest contenders to qualify for the WTC Final for the third time in a row. However, a series whitewash against New Zealand at home, followed by a 1-3 loss in the Border Gavaskar Trophy Down Under, knocked India out of the WTC Final qualification race.

The whitewash in the New Zealand tour of India was the team's first-ever whitewash at home in Test cricket. Moreover, the Kiwis became the first team to complete a series win over India in their backyard in as many as 12 years. The ugly blot on India's otherwise stellar Test record at home came riding on the back of the struggling forms of senior Indian batters, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The slump only extended when the team traveled to Australia for the Border Gavaskar Trophy.

Rohit Sharma missed the opening fixture, the Perth Test, which remained the only match that the visitors managed to win in the five-match series Down Under. The Kangaroos, led by Pat Cummins, managed to beat India in three matches, while India salvaged the Gabba Test with a draw. While Rohit Sharma returned ahead of the second Test, the captain dropped himself from the Sydney Test as he struggled to pick up his form.

In a show of India’s collective batting slump, the team let go of the BGT for the first time in a decade, washing away another record in the format. The 1-3 defeat, moreover, meant that the Rohit Sharma-led team missed qualification for the WTC Final for the first time since the event’s inception in 2021.

Reports from BCCI suggested the sacking of Rohit Sharma from the captaincy post in Test Cricket ahead of India Tour of England

The team landed in India amid roaring scrutiny, targeted mainly at the senior players, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and the head coach Gautam Gambhir. In the BGT, the Indian skipper played three Tests, managing to score just 31 runs across five innings at a forgettable average of 6.20. To make matters worse, the India tour of Australia was marred by dressing room leaks, suggesting friction between different parts of the team, with the most worrying one about Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir.

While the matters seemed to have been sidelined for the time being as India won the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai, the focus is back on Test cricket. Soon after the players conclude IPL 2025, they will regroup for the India Tour of England. Meanwhile, the latest reports from the BCCI suggested that the board is ready to sack Rohit Sharma from the Test captaincy post. However, before an official announcement, the player himself retired from the format.

“The selectors’ thought process is clear. They want a new leader for the England tour and Rohit doesn’t fit in as a captain, especially considering his red-ball form. They want to groom a young leader for the next Test cycle and the selection committee has informed the BCCI that Rohit won’t lead the team,” a source said.

Interestingly, Rohit’s latest announcement stands in contrast with his admission at the time of the Sydney Test. While Rohit dropped himself amid his struggles with the bat, the skipper, in a bold interaction, remained confident about his return to the format. However, as it stands now, Rohit’s Test retirement sits perfectly in sync with the intention of BCCI of sacking him from captaincy. The captain posted a story on his social media profile with a photo of his Test cap. Rohit, who retired from T20 cricket in 2024 following India’s historic T20 World Cup victory, confirmed that he will continue to represent India in ODI cricket.

"Hello everyone, I would just like to share that I'm 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 Sharma wrote on his Instagram story.

A slump towards the conclusive phase of his career, however, does not define the brilliance of Rohit Sharma in the format. Debuting in 2013, Rohit started as a middle-order batter for India in red-ball cricket, smashing a century in his maiden Test innings. In his career spanning over a decade, the batter amassed 4,301 runs at an average of 40.57 with 12 centuries to his name, including a triple century and a double ton. The batter transitioned to the opening position in 2019 and has since played as an opener for the team. Rohit’s best season in Test cricket came in 2021, when the batter scored 906 runs at an average of 47.68.

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