Senior Indian batter Rohit Sharma has announced his retirement from Test cricket with immediate effect, bringing an end to an illustrious red-ball career that spanned over a decade. The 38-year-old made the announcement via an Instagram Story on Wednesday, confirming he will now focus solely on the One Day International (ODI) format.
“Hello everyone, I would just like to share that I am retiring from Test cricket. It’s been an absolute honour to represent my country in whites. Thank you for all the love and support over the years. I will continue to represent India in the ODI format,” Rohit wrote.
This announcement comes after months of speculation surrounding his future in the longest format, particularly following a disappointing outing in the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. Rohit had earlier retired from T20 Internationals after leading India in the 2024 T20 World Cup.Over his 67-Test career, Rohit Sharma amassed 4,301 runs at an average of 40.57, including 12 centuries and 18 fifties. He became a pivotal figure for India in the second half of his Test career, especially after moving to the top of the batting order. He also captained India to the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia.With Rohit’s exit, India is now expected to appoint a new Test captain ahead of the upcoming five-match Test series in England. As per sources, Shubman Gill is emerging as the frontrunner to take over the leadership role.“Shubman Gill is being spoken about and considered for captaincy. There will be a few more changes because this kickstarts the WTC cycle. The selectors will not go back. They are likely to look ahead,” a source close to team management revealed.Other potential candidates include Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant. The final decision is expected to be made soon, with the next WTC cycle set to begin later this year.