Rohit Sharma Announces Test Retirement, To Continue in ODIs
Indian cricket team’s senior player and captain Rohit Sharma has announced his immediate retirement from Test cricket, in a move that has taken the cricketing world by surprise. Rohit Sharma made this announcement via social media, while also clarifying that he will continue to represent India in the One Day International (ODI) format. With this decision, the long-format career of the player widely known as "Hitman" has drawn to a close after 11 years.
During his Test career, Rohit Sharma played a total of 67 matches. He assumed Test captaincy duties in 2022 from Virat Kohli and went on to lead India in 24 matches. Over the course of his career, Rohit amassed 4,301 runs, including 12 centuries. “Hello everyone… I am retiring from Test cricket. Representing my country in the longest format has been a great honour. Thank you all for the love and support over the years. I will continue to play for India in the ODI format,” stated Rohit Sharma in his announcement.
Rohit Sharma’s retirement gains added significance as it comes just ahead of India’s upcoming five-Test series against England. With team selection imminent, the need has now arisen for the appointment of a new Test captain. Rohit had previously led India during the tour of Australia, where his poor form led to his exclusion from the team at one stage. India lost that series 4-1. Notably, the Boxing Day Test held in Melbourne at the end of last year turned out to be Rohit’s final appearance in the longest format.
Recent reports had suggested that selectors were considering naming a new captain for the Test series against England. It is being speculated that selectors may have already discussed this with Rohit Sharma, possibly prompting his decision to step down from Test cricket.
Rohit Sharma was initially set to debut in 2010 in a Test against South Africa in Nagpur, but a last-minute injury prior to the toss prevented his debut. Three years later, in 2013, he made his Test debut against the West Indies in Kolkata, scoring a century in his very first match. He followed it up with another century in the subsequent Test in Mumbai.
However, Rohit struggled to maintain that early promise. For nearly five years, his performances remained largely modest, with the only notable century during this period coming against Sri Lanka in Nagpur in 2017. A major turning point came in 2019 during a home series against South Africa, where Rohit opened the batting for the first time in Tests. In that three-match series, he recorded two centuries and a double century (212 in Ranchi).
In 2021, Rohit played a crucial role in India’s victory over England, scoring a commanding 161 in spin-friendly conditions in Chennai and a pivotal 127 at The Oval. In another series against the same opposition, he scored two more centuries and led a relatively inexperienced Indian side to a 4-1 series win. However, in the 2024–25 season, despite entering with a batting average of 45.46, he managed only a single half-century across 15 innings, which caused his average to dip by four points.
Rohit Sharma’s captaincy record this season also suffered. India endured a 0-3 whitewash at the hands of New Zealand, marking the first time in 12 years that India had lost a Test series at home. Under Rohit’s leadership, India secured a total of 12 victories and faced 9 defeats. His retirement marks the end of an era in Indian Test cricket.