Rohit Sharma has officially retired from international cricket and is no longer donning whites for India. Our beloved Hitman from India is done playing Test cricket! It is a bummer for all the fans out there, however, it is also the beginning of a new chapter. He had told the world he was going to retire in Test cricket just over a month before India’s airplane flew off to England. No need to put away your Rohit jerseys just yet – he is “not done” yet!
From Late Bloomer to Test Opener Supreme
Rohit’s red-ball career has always been somewhat of a contradiction. He made his Test debut back in 2013 with a brilliant 177 (the second-highest by an Indian on debut), but it took him years to find his genuine stride in this format. He began his draw at the start of his career in the middle order, from which he never could find a spot with any consistency.
In his first Test series as an opener against South Africa, he scored a remarkable 529 runs after only three matches, including two centuries and a spectacular double hundred at Ranchi. Over the next few years, Rohit’s position as one of the most dependable openers in the world was cemented. His innings in England (the 127 at The Oval, especially, and the 83 at Lord’s) were not only highly competitive, they were purposefully patient too, all extremely important for India’s competitiveness overseas.
However, his Test numbers at present (4301 runs in 67 matches at 40.57) are simply not “legendary” in stature, but also tell the story of a player who has been able to evolve and adapt, and who has made a difference when it has mattered the most.
Captaincy Highs, Form Lows, and the Hard Call
Let’s be frank—Rohit’s retirement from Test cricket wasn’t shocking. He’s had pressure on him ever since he took over captaincy in all formats for India. He has had his moments (overwhelmingly leading India to series wins against Australia and England at home), but 2024 hasn’t been kind. The string of poor scores against Australia (3, 6, 10, and 3) suggested a player who was starting to run on empty. His effectively dropping himself for the final Test in Sydney told you all you needed to know.
Rohit still walks away with a captaincy record most men would envy: 12 wins in 24 Tests with a win percentage of 60 – the same ratio achieved by MS Dhoni. But after the team needed a fresh start and Rohit sought to prolong his life in white-ball cricket, leaving Tests was probably the right option for them both. At 37, every decision is going to be important, and this one could also make his shelf life longer for ODIs.
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The ODI Dream: Eyes on 2027
So what’s next? Rohit’s heartbeat is strongest in ODIs. Rohit was instrumental in taking India to the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup, and while the trophy eluded India, he had as good a captaincy as a batsman himself. Rohit has checked off T20Is and Tests, and is now left with one milestone left: a 50-over World Cup title, in 2027!
He will be 40 at that stage, but if MS Dhoni super-admins to an IPL title at 41, why can’t Rohit do it with a World Cup? With Rohit’s calmness, credentials, experience, and ODI performance (including three 200s, with an ODI average of greater than 48), he certainly is a huge asset! Furthermore, this toe-in-the-water approach of enjoying one format may provide him a break that enables his body to repair and be fresh at the ICC level.
What do you think—can Rohit Sharma take India to glory on the biggest stage once again, or is the ODI title just a bit too far?
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