India’s Test and ODI captain Rohit Sharma was reportedly on the brink 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 had made up his mind to hang up his boots after a string of disappointing performances with the bat in Test cricket. After batting in the middle order in Adelaide and Brisbane, the senior opener returned to his opening position in the Boxing Day Test.
Rohit Sharma almost called it quits before Sydney Test before “well-wishers” stopped him
However, the Indian captain’s return to the top order didn’t prove fruitful as he struggled to make an impact in both innings, and India suffered a crushing defeat. It forced him to take the call on his future.
Well, Rohit’s frustration was understandable after amassing just 31 runs in five innings in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, along with six consecutive losses as India captain in his last six Tests.
A source close to the situation revealed that “Rohit had made up his mind after MCG” but a few “well-wishers” from the outside forced him to reconsider, leading to a last-minute change of heart.
A source close to the development was quoted as saying by Times of India: “Rohit had made up his mind after MCG. Had his well-wishers from the outside not forced him to change his mind, we could have well seen another retirement in Australia.”
All is not well between Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma
Despite this, all was not well behind the scenes. Rohit decided 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 didn’t sit well with head coach Gautam Gambhir, with tensions brewing between the two.
The report further claimed that Rohit’s change of heart before the New Year Test in Sydney didn’t sit well with Gautam Gambhir. Rohit then skipped the final Test, which irked the Indian head coach, leading to a brewing cold war between the coach and captain.
Well, Rohit Sharma’s absence from the final BGT Test raised many questions, especially after Gautam Gambhir’s statement regarding his participation. Then, Rohit’s unenthusiastic behavior during the team’s final training session in Australia further fueled speculation about his future.
Rohit Sharma to reunite with Gautam Gambhir for ICC Champions Trophy 2025 amid growing rift with the coach
He wasn’t included in the 15-member squad for the Sydney Test but reassured fans that he wasn’t retiring. In an interview with broadcaster Star Sports, Rohit explained that he felt it was not ideal to play when runs weren’t coming from his bat, and that’s why he decided to rest from the game.
However, what caught the most attention was the underlying tension between Rohit and Gambhir. Their relationship has reportedly been rocky, with disagreements cropping up over various matters, from squad selection to decisions during tosses. It’s clear that the coach-captain dynamics have been 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 final hurrah for Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja, who have already announced their retirement from T20Is after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup.