India’s cricketing landscape witnessed a seismic shift on Tuesday evening as Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket, moments after media reports claimed he had been sacked as India’s red-ball captain ahead of the England tour.
Taking to Instagram, Rohit shared a heartfelt post alongside a photo of his India Test cap (No. 280), stating, “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’s announcement comes on the heels of a report by The Indian Express, which stated that the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee had already informed the BCCI of its decision to move on from Rohit’s leadership in Tests, citing poor recent performances. India lost five of their last six Tests under Rohit’s captaincy, including at home to New Zealand and away in Australia. He even dropped himself from the playing XI for the final Test in Sydney.
Though Rohit scored 4,301 runs in 67 Tests, including 12 centuries and 18 fifties, his form in the latter part of his career dipped significantly. His average of 40.57 does little justice to the explosive start he made in red-ball cricket.
While he may no longer lead the side in whites, Rohit is expected to continue as India’s ODI captain and may still travel to England as a specialist batter. His decision marks the end of a memorable Test career, but also sparks questions on who will take over India’s Test leadership next.