India’s Test and ODI captain Rohit Sharma was 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 has decided to hang up his football boots after a string of disappointing performances with the bat in Test cricket. After batting in the middle order in Adelaide and Brisbane, the first senior returned to his starting position in the Boxing Day Test.
Rohit Sharma almost called it quits ahead of the Sydney Test before “well-wishers” stopped him
However, the Indian captain’s return to the top order did not prove successful as he struggled to make an impact in both innings and India suffered a crushing defeat. This forced him to accept a decision about his future.
Well, Rohit’s frustration was understandable after he mustered just 31 runs in five innings in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, along with six consecutive defeats as India’s captain in the last six Tests.
A source close to the situation revealed that “Rohit changed his mind after the MCG”, but a few “well-wishers” from outside made him change his mind, leading to a last-minute change of heart.
A source close to the development was quoted by the Times of India as saying, “Rohit has decided after the MCG. Had his outside well-wishers not made him change his mind, we could have seen another retirement in Australia.”
All is not well between Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma
Nevertheless, all was not well behind the scenes. Rohit opted to sit out 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 head coach Gautam Gambhir, and tensions grew between the two.
The report further claimed that Rohit’s change of heart ahead of the New Year Test in Sydney did not sit well with Gautam Gambhir. Rohit then skipped the final Test, angering the Indian head 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 questions, especially after Gautam Gambhir’s statement about his participation. Then, Rohit’s unenthusiastic behavior during the team’s last training session in Australia further fueled speculation about his future.
Rohit Sharma to re-team with Gautam Gambhir for ICC Champions Trophy 2025 amid widening rift with coach
He was not included in the 15-man Test squad in Sydney but assured fans that he is not retiring. In an interview with Star Sports, Rohit explained that he feels it is not ideal to play when runs are not coming from his bat, and that is why he decided to take a break from the game.
However, what grabbed the most attention was the internal tension between Rohit and Gambhir. Their relationship was reportedly rocky, with disagreements arising over a variety of matters from line-up selection to decisions during the draw. Clearly, the coach-captain dynamic is strained, with Rohit and Gambhir often finding themselves 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 The T20I is after winning the T20 World Cup 2024.
