Veteran Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket ahead of the five-match Test series against England. The opening batter revealed the decision at 19:29 IST on May 7, the same time former Indian captain MS Dhoni revealed his retirement from international cricket in 2020.
Rohit Sharma made his Test debut in 2013 against the West Indies. He scored 4,301 runs in 67 matches at an average of 40.57, with 12 centuries and 18 half-centuries. Rohit scored his career best of 212 runs against South Africa in 2019. Notably, his team suffered a 0-3 whitewash to New Zealand at home.
Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni Played Their Last Test at MCG as Captains
Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni played their last Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Australia. Dhoni’s final Test was during India’s 2024 tour, while Rohit’s came in the 2024-25 tour. They didn’t complete their last Australian Test series as captain, with both transferring leadership mid-tour.
Dhoni’s retirement came right after the 2014 Boxing Day Test, where he led India one last time before stepping down, with Virat Kohli taking over the Indian Test side. Rohit’s final Test match was the 2024 Boxing Day Test. However, Sharma announced his retirement more than four months later.
Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni’s Last Home Test at Wankhede Stadium
Rohit and Dhoni played their final home Test matches at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Dhoni played his last home Test against the West Indies during Sachin Tendulkar’s farewell series, where India won by an innings and 126 runs.
Notably, Rohit made his debut during that Test series and was part of the match. On the other hand, the 38-year-old batter played his final home Test against New Zealand, but India lost that match by 25 runs.
They continued their cricket careers even after retiring from Test cricket. Dhoni played international cricket for almost five years following his retirement from Tests. Meanwhile, Rohit, who is now focused on limited-overs formats, is expected to captain India until at least the 2027 World Cup.
Rohit Sharma Guided India to 12 Wins in 24 Test Matches
Rohit led India in 24 Test matches after taking over as captain in 2022, securing 12 wins and nine losses. India reached the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 but finished as runners-up.
The batter took over the captaincy from Virat Kohli. However, his time as captain has not been without challenges. India endured a humiliating 3-0 whitewash by New Zealand at home. It was their first-ever home series defeat with three or more Tests and their first series loss at home in over a decade.
Following his retirement from Test cricket, India now faces the challenge of finding a new leader for the format. Vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah is a strong contender, but Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant can take over the charge considering the pacer’s injury track record.
Also read: Did Rohit Sharma retire himself or was he forced by BCCI? Ugly report out in the media