Speculations about Rohit Sharma, the Indian captain of test cricket retirement have spread like wildfire following his poor performance with the bat and ineffective on-field tactics in the continuing Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25, although the declaration hasn’t been made officially.
In the last 14 test innings, the Hitman scored just 155 runs at an average of 11.07 including his highest of 52. Also, the team under his captaincy lost its first home test series to New Zealand with a clean sweep of 0-3 and continues exhibiting a struggling performance in Australia in the ongoing five-match test series.
Except for Jasprit Bumrah, the visiting bowlers received criticism for lack of their disciplined bowling attack.
After missing out on India’s 295-run success in the Perth test due to the birth of the second child, Rohit Sharma experimented with his batting positions but managed to score only 22 runs in 4 innings of the BGT 2024-25 so far. Since the captain’s return in the pink-ball test, India registered a 10-wicket loss in Adelaide and secured a draw outcome in a rain-threatened Brisbane test.
As the right-handed batter continues struggling with his form, a certain set of fans and experts lashed out at his poor performance on social media urging him to retire from the longest format of cricket.
Main Reasons Why Fans and Experts Suggest Rohit Sharma Retire from Test Cricket
Several fans and experts pointed out that Rohit Sharma’s second half of 2024 has been completely disastrous forcing him to retire from tests due to the following reasons:
1. Poor Form in Test:
In contrast to his current form, Rohit Sharma had a positive start to the year 2024 by delivering an impressive performance against England, scoring 400 runs in 9 innings that included 2 hundred and a fifty. But, his form completely dipped in the latter half starting from the home test series against Bangladesh and New Zealand till the ongoing BGT 2024-25 in Australia. These are his scores in the last 14 innings of his test cricket career:
- 2-Match Home Test Series vs Bangladesh:
| Venue | First Innings Score | Second Innings Score | ||||
| Runs | Balls | 4s and 6s | Runs | Balls | 4s and 6s | |
| Chennai (1st Test) | 6 | 19 | 1 Four | 5 | 7 | 1 Four |
| Kanpur (2nd Test) | 23 | 11 | 1 Four and 3 Sixes | 8 | ||
| Overall Runs in Test Series: | 42 Runs in 4 innings | |||||
- 3-Match Home Test Series vs New Zealand:
| Venue | First Innings Score | Second Innings Score | ||||
| Runs | Balls | 4s and 6s | Runs | Balls | 4s and 6s | |
| Bengaluru (1st Test) | 2 | 16 | 0 | 52 | 63 | 8 Fours and 1 Six |
| Pune (2nd Test) | 0 | 9 | 8 | 16 | 1 Four | |
| Mumbai (3rd Test) | 18 | 18 | 3 Fours | 11 | 11 | 2 Fours |
| Overall Runs in Test Series: | 80 Runs in 6 innings | |||||
- 5-Match Test Series vs Australia (stats updated till Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test):
| Venue | First Innings Score | Second Innings Score | ||||
| Runs | Balls | 4s and 6s | Runs | Balls | 4s and 6s | |
| Perth | 3 | 23 | 0 | 6 | 15 | 1 Four |
| Brisbane | 10 | 27 | 2 Fours | Did Not Bat | ||
| Total Runs (Batting at No.6): | 19 runs in 3 innings | |||||
Despite Rohit promoting himself back to the opening position in the fourth test, he managed to score just 3 runs out of 5 balls in India’s first innings.
Tactical Errors as a Captain:
The T20 World Cup 2024 winning captain was lashed severely by the cricket experts for his tactical errors. One such blunder includes setting defensive field placements that not only allowed the top, middle, and lower order but also the tailenders to maintain consistent partnerships.
Particularly in Australia’s 2nd innings of the Boxing Day test, India seemed to be in control by restricting the hosts’ lead to196 runs at a total of 91-6 after Alex Carey’s dismissal. But, Pat Cummins and Marnus Labuschagne struck a 57-run partnership that slowly snatched away the game from India.
Moreover, the Australian captain batting at No.8 spot scored back-to-back 40s in the fourth test despite being a full-time pacer.
The tail finishers Nathan Lyon (41-not out) and Scott Boland (10-not out) maintained a 55-run partnership for the 10th wicket, guiding their team’s total to 228-9 at stumps in 82 overs that enhanced the lead by 333 runs.
3. Should Shift his Focus on ODIs after the present WTC cycle:
Having retired from T20Is, experts feel that Rohit should focus on ODI cricket keeping in mind the importance of winning the forthcoming Champions Trophy 2025 starting from February 19.
4. Multiple Talented Batters to Replace Hitman:
As Rohit no longer being a Hitman with his recent subpar form in tests, several deserving young batters in the list can prove to be promising options such as:
- Dhruv Jurel
- Sarfaraz Khan
- Sai Sudharshan
- Devdutt Padikkal
- Shreyas Iyer
Final Opinion:
Jasprit Bumrah’s leadership skills in the Perth test added with the prioritized opening combination of KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal jeopardize Rohit’s position as a captain and player in the test team’s playing XI. Finally, the 37-year-old needs to prove his worth as a captain and player by making a stunning comeback to silence his critics and secure his spot in tests before the completion of the fifth test in Sydney.