With the conclusion of the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-2025, speculations about several Indian players are rife, and the main reason behind speculations is their poor form. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are two names that struggled to score runs in the BGT, and that’s why every cricket enthusiast is after them and is predicting that they may retire from the longest format, i.e., Test cricket, in the coming days.
Virat and Rohit are stalwarts of Indian cricket who have been serving Indian cricket for several years. They have been part of many famous wins for India, the recent among those being winning the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup held in the Caribbean Islands and the United States. When Rohit was left out of the playing eleven in the last of the five test matches played at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), speculations became strong.
However, all those speculations were rumours, and Rohit cleared the air when one of the commentators asked him about his retirement plans. He clearly said that he is not going anywhere, meaning he is available to play for the nation. However, the call to select him for the Indian Men’s Cricket team is on the selectors.
What Made People Speculate Rohit Sharma’s Retirement?
As said, it is the poor form of Rohit Sharma in the recently concluded Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-2025, and then he sat out in the last test match played at the Sydney Cricket Ground, which gave rise to rumours of his retirement. Everyone started murmuring that Rohit had planned to retire, so he’d been left out of the playing eleven for the last test match at the SCG. When we say everyone, it means cricket enthusiasts, cricket experts, audience, and commentators.
He cleared the air about his retirement during the Sydney Test interview by saying that he is not going anywhere and has not planned his retirement. He said that not playing in the Sydney Test was personal, as he wanted to make the team win and not suffer because of Rohit’s form. The news of Rohit’s retirement was just a rumour and nothing else. After coming from Australia, the BCCI, the main body for cricket in India, instructed Rohit to play domestic matches to get back in form.
Inclusion of Rohit Sharma in the IPL’s Mumbai Indians Team
Before the IPL’s Players Auction in December 2024, there were talks that Rohit would be available for the IPL Players Auction 2024; however, the Mumbai Indians owners proved everyone wrong by retaining him. The Mumbai Indians owners know that he is a main player and that’s why they want him to be with their team. Even online betting sites in India know that about Rohit’s value and that’s why he is serving as the brand ambassador for many of those betting sites.
After he was removed as the captain of the Mumbai Indians team that plays in the Indian Premier League, there were intense talks of him moving to another IPL team. The talks became silent after the Mumbai Indians franchise retained him before the IPL Players auction.
Why did Mumbai Indians remove Rohit Sharma as the Captain?
Rohit Sharma was removed from the position of captain of the Mumbai Indians before the IPL 2024, even after having won the coveted IPL title 5 times. The decision of the Mumbai Indians owners shocked everyone and made them think that the franchise didn’t want him on the team. However, the reason was different, which was later explained by the owners. The reason for removing him from the captain’s position was Rohit’s age; he could call it a day anytime.
The team doesn’t want to make anyone captain in a rush, as they want someone who remains with them for some years. They chose Hardik Pandya, who is young and can play cricket for several years. The decision to replace Hardik didn’t pay off in the IPL 2024, but this happened during the transition. The best thing for Hardik is that he has Rohit by his side in the team, and he can look for guidance and make the team win.
Significant Achievements of Rohit Sharma
As you know, the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 was Rohit's first major title as a captain. The title was important after the Indian team lost the ODI World Cup 2023 after coming very close to winning. Rohit had won the T20 World Cup before 2024 in 2007, but that was as a player, and that’s why the 2024 T20 World Cup holds a special place for him.
Apart from the T20 World Cup, Rohit was also a member of the Indian cricket team that won the 2013 Champions Trophy. He holds the record of scoring 264 runs, the most number of runs in a One Day International cricket match to date. This is not it, as Rohit is the only person to hit three double centuries in One Day International matches.
Conclusion: The poor run of form of Rohit Sharma in the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-2025 has raised many questions for Rohit as well as the selectors. He is a great batter when we talk about his batting skills; however, in recent times, his poor form has made everyone think about his retirement. In this post, we have discussed the talks about Rohit Sharma’s retirement and confirmed that those are just rumours, nothing more than that. I hope you liked reading the information here; share your thoughts and feedback in the comments.