Rohit Sharma on Wednesday declared his retirement from Test cricket with immediate effect, leaving India and leaving India for the longest -long stay about his future and a new captain for the upcoming five -match series against England. After the retirement already retired from T20 International after India, leading for the World Cup Trophy last year, Rohit will now be seen captaining the national team in the ODI format only. “Hello everyone, I would just like to share that I am retiring from Test cricket. It is a complete honor to represent my country in the whites.
“Thanks to all love and support for all years. I will continue to represent India in the ODI format,” he posted on Instagram with a photo of his test cap.
The BCCI also confirmed that Rohit would remain ODI captain.
BCCI posted on ‘X’, “Thank you, the end of an era in Captain. IMRO45 to bid cricket to test. He will continue to lead India in Odis. We are proud of you, we are proud of you, Hitman,” BCCI posted on ‘X’.
Thanks, captain
End of an era in whites!@IMRO45 Bids to test cricket. He will continue to lead India in Odis.
We are proud of you, hitman pic.twitter.com/azlpzfwdhn
– BCCI (@Bcci) May 7, 2025
India will have a new Test captain for a five-observance series in England starting on June 20, with potential candidates with Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant. Bumrah captained the side in some tests during the tour of Australia.
So far, Rahul and Gill are the front-color due to the recurrent fitness issues of the vice-captain Bumrah. Bumrah, however, cannot be completely rejected.
Rohit, who led India in the four ICC tournament finals, win two of them, more than 11,000 runs and a Bonafide legend in the ODI with 32 centuries.
He comes out of the tests as India’s most virtuous batsman in the second half of his career, scoring 4301 runs in 4301 tests in total, with 12 hundreds and 18 half centuries with an average of 40.57.
A source close to the Indian captain told PTI, “Rohit is firm to play the 2027 ODI World Cup, and he will do everything to fit his power and play mega-events.” The leading circumstances for his announcement on Wednesday were away from the ideal.
If Rohit’s close source is to be believed, the champion Batter decided to retire from the Test after India won the Champions Trophy in March.
And although it was known for men who had done the case, speculation around their future was allowed to roam in the media by the authorities who preferred to come on records.
A source close to Rohit said, “Rohit’s retirement from Test cricket was in Rohit’s mind as India won the Champions Trophy. A new WTC (World Test Championship) cycle was starting, and so he felt that it was the best time.”
“If Rohit decided that he would leave it in the Test, where is the question of leaving him?” A former BCCI office, who has seen Rohit closely for years, thought loudly.
The selection committee, it has been learned, Rohit has not been given any clarity whether he will make it in the England-Bound Squad, which will be announced for some time next week. Rohit, on his behalf, made him clear that he wanted the final call on his career to be his own.
While the Indian Selection Committee had met informally in Mumbai, it could not be confirmed whether the head coach Gautam Gambhir joined Delhi online to discuss the blueprint for a blueprint for the series against England.
Rohit captained India in the World Test Championship final against Australia and scored a very civilized run in the format to save the last couple of the indifferent series against New Zealand and Border-Gavaskar Shodown against Australia earlier this year.
He tolerated a particularly difficult run during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where he was poorly abandoned due to XI to play, but he denied retirement at that level.
There was also widespread speculation about his differences with Gambhir, who vowed to end “Star Culture” in Indian cricket after taking charge last year in July.
Both of them constantly denied nonsense, but Gambhir has given time and again made it clear that only the performance would ensure selection in the team.
The main attraction of Rohit’s Test captaincy is without any doubt that India reached the final of the World Test Championship in 2023, eventually lost to Australia. This was the same year in which the team once again lost in the final of the ODI World Cup in Australia.
Captaincy candidate
Bumrah, being the best player, was running to become a permanent test captain, but his dodi lower back is a concern for the selectors as he is at risk of breaking up during the long chain.
Rahul has captained India by stopping and is still in good form. He is also 33 years old and has four to five years of international cricket, which will be the time required to groom the next captain.
There is a school of idea that likes Shubman Gill as he may be the next major corporate brand after Virat Kohli which Indian cricket is needed.
Rishabh Pant has been a huge test player, but will he have the vote of coach Gautam Gambhir, not yet known.
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is published by a syndicated feed.)
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