Rohit Sharma announced on May 7 that he is retiring from Test cricket. This came as a surprise because India is about to play a five-match Test series against England starting June 20. People wondered why Rohit decided to retire suddenly. A report says that Rohit had a special plan for his retirement, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) did not accept it. This led Rohit to quit Test cricket.
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Rohit Sharma’s Retirement Plan Was Rejected by BCCI
Rohit wanted to retire in a way similar to how former captain MS Dhoni did in 2014. Dhoni had retired in the middle of a series during India’s tour of Australia.
Rohit wanted to go to England, captain the team in the first few matches, and then announce his retirement during the series. But the BCCI said no because they wanted the team leadership to be stable throughout the series. The BCCI told Rohit he could go to the series, but not as the captain.
Because of this, Rohit decided to retire from Test cricket right away, just weeks before the team was announced for the England series. People close to Indian cricket say that Rohit was still ready mentally to play one last Test, but the BCCI did not agree to let him retire the way he wanted.
Who Will Be the Next Captain?
Rohit’s retirement has made the BCCI think about who will lead the Test team next. Jasprit Bumrah is said to have decided not to become captain. Now, the selectors, led by Ajit Agarkar, are considering Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill for the job.
The selectors have talked informally with both players, but no final decision has been made yet.
One selector is unsure about giving the captaincy to Gill because he is not always certain to be in the playing eleven. This selector thinks Gill might be better as the vice-captain.
Rohit Sharma’s Test Cricket Record
Rohit played 61 Test matches and scored 4,301 runs. He had an average of 40.57 runs per match. He scored 12 centuries (100+ runs) and 18 half-centuries (50+ runs). His highest score in a Test match was 212 runs.
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End of an Era: Virat Kohli Also Retires
Just five days after Rohit, Virat Kohli also announced his retirement from Test cricket. Both Rohit and Virat had already stopped playing T20 cricket after India won the World Cup in June 2024. From now on, they will only play One Day Internationals (ODIs).
