Rohit Sharma’s retirement after Champions Trophy 2025 confirmed as cricket legends predict Indian captaincy shake-up
Legendary Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist predicted Rohit Sharma’s potential retirement from international cricket after the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy in March. Rohit Sharma’s leadership came under fire after the 1-3 Test in India series loss to Australia. He was also a big failure with the bat in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 against Australia.
Amid the uproar over Rohit Sharma’s future following the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy debacle, Adam Gilchrist also predicted that India could see a change of captaincy in Test cricket with Jasprit Bumrah or Virat Kohli stepping in as captain during the next engagement against England in June 2025.
Adam Gilchrist predicts Rohit Sharma’s retirement after ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
After the disastrous Australian tour, many wondered whether the 37-year-old would even make the squad for India’s next Test series in England, which kicks off the new 2025-27 Test World Cup cycle. Well, Gilchrist has expressed doubts about Rohit Sharma’s future in Tests.
The former Australian wicket-keeper batsman hinted that the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy could be his swansong. Gilchrist does not think Rohit will extend his Test career until the England tour, but will get a clearer picture of his future after a self-assessment during this break.
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Adam Gilchrist said at the Prairie Fire Club: “I don’t see Rohit Sharma going to England. I just felt he said he would evaluate it when he got home. I mean, the first thing he’s going to see when he gets home is a two-month-old baby whose diapers he has to change. Now it might encourage him to go to England. But I know that I don’t know; I don’t see him continuing. I think he’ll probably struggle in the Champions Trophy, and that could be it. That might get him out.”
Virat Kohli or Jasprit Bumrah? Adam Gilchrist looks at the conundrum of India’s captaincy
The cricket expert also doubts that Jasprit Bumrah will be India’s full-time Test captain, having predicted a possible return of Virat Kohli to the captaincy, at least for the upcoming tour of England.
He added, “I don’t know if Bumrah should be the permanent captain. I think it might be a little challenging for him. Who could be the next captain is anyone’s guess, in fact, whether he will go back to Virat Kohli. I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t mind.”
Meanwhile, former England captain Michael Vaughan said that Jasprit Bumrah should be handed India’s captaincy, highlighting the team’s performance under the pacer’s leadership. He also noted that if Jasprit Bumrah had not been injured, India would have won the Sydney Test and saved the 2024-25 BGT against Australia.
Michael Vaughan backs Jasprit Bumrah to captain India’s Test
Michael Vaughan said on the same podcast: “I think you’re right. I would give the captaincy to Jasprit Bumrah and the reason is the two best performances India have had here in Australia Perth and SCG. And if he hadn’t been injured, I honestly think they would have won that game.”
Even Vaughan backed Shubman Gill as a potential vice-captain for the much-anticipated Test series. But the Englishman suggested Gill should improve his numbers in the longest format of the game first. He signed off by saying: “I’d have someone like Shubman Gill as vice-captain, but with an average above 45, which I think he’s up to the task.”
