India’s Test and ODI captain Rohit Sharma is reportedly on the verge of announcing his retirement after the fourth Test of the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne.
Sources revealed that Rohit Sharma had decided to hang up his boots after a string of disappointing performances with the bat in Test cricket. After batting in the middle-order in Adelaide and Brisbane, the senior opener returned to his starting position in the Boxing Day Test.
Rohit Sharma almost called it quits ahead of the Sydney Test before the ‘well-wishers’ stopped him.
However, the Indian captain’s return to the top order did not prove fruitful as he struggled to make an impact in both innings, and India suffered a crushing defeat. It forced him to accept the call for his future.
Well, Rohit’s frustration was understandable after he amassed just 31 runs in five innings in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, along with six consecutive defeats as India captain in his last six Tests.
A source close to the situation revealed that “Rohit had made up his mind after the MCG” but some “well-wishers” from abroad forced him to reconsider, leading to a last-minute change of heart.
A source close to the development was quoted by Times of India: “Rohit had made up his mind after the MCG. Had his overseas well-wishers not forced him to change his mind, we might well have seen another retirement in Australia.”
All is not well between Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma
However, all was not well behind the scenes. Rohit decided to skip the final Test in Sydney, where India suffered a six-wicket defeat to lose the Test series 3-1 to Australia. The situation reportedly did not sit well with coach Gautam Gambhir, with tensions brewing between the two.
The report further claimed that Rohit’s change of heart before the New Year Test in Sydney did not sit well with Gautam Gambhir. Rohit then skipped the final Test, which angered the Indian coach, leading to a cold war between the coach and the captain.
Well, Rohit Sharma’s absence from the final BGT Test has raised many question marks, especially after Gautam Gambhir’s statement regarding his participation. Then, Rohit’s unenthusiastic behavior during the team’s final practice session in Australia fueled further speculation about his future.
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He was not included in the 15-man squad for the Sydney Test but assured fans that he is not retiring. In an interview with the Star Sports television network, Rohit explained that he felt it was not ideal to play when no runs were coming from his bat and hence decided to take a break from the game.
However, what caught the most attention was the underlying tension between Rohit and Gambhir. Their relationship has reportedly been rocky, with disagreements emerging over a range of issues from team selection to in-flight decisions. It is clear that the coach-captain dynamic has been strained, with Rohit and Gambhir often on opposite sides in recent Test series.
For now, Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir have no choice but to work together as they will reunite for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. This tournament could be the last hurray for Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, who have already announced their retirement from T20 is after winning the T20 World Cup 2024.
