India's Test and ODI captain Rohit Sharma was 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 have revealed that Rohit Sharma has decided 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 quit the Sydney Test before the 'well-wishers' stopped him
However, the Indian captain's return to the first order did not prove fruitful as he struggled to make an impact in both innings and India suffered a crushing defeat. It forced him to accept the call on 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 his last six Tests.
A source close to the situation revealed that “Rohit had made up his mind after the MCG” but a few “pleasers” from outside forced him to reconsider, leading to a last-minute change.
A source close to the development was quoted by Times of India as saying, “Rohit had made up his mind after the MCG. If his outside well-wishers hadn't forced him to change his mind, we could have seen another retreat 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 and lost the Test series 3–1 to Australia. Apparently, the situation did not sit well with head coach Gautam Gambhir, with tensions rising between the two.
The report also claimed that Rohit's change of heart before the New Year Test in Sydney did not sit well with Gautam Gambhir. Rohit then skipped the final Test, which irritated the Indian head coach, leading to a cold war between the coach and the captain.
Well, Rohit Sharma's absence from the BGT Final Test has raised many questions, especially after Gautam Gambhir's statement regarding his participation. Then, Rohit's unenthusiastic behavior during the team's final practice 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 coach
He was not included in the 15-man squad for the Sydney Test but assured fans that he is not retiring. In an interview with broadcaster Star Sports, Rohit explained that he felt it was not ideal to play when runs were not coming from his bat and hence decided to take a break from the game.
However, what caught the most attention was the core tension between Rohit and Gambhir. Their relationship was reportedly rocky, with disagreements arising on various matters from team selection to decisions during tosses. It is clear that the coach-captain dynamic has 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 come together for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. This tournament could be the last straw for Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja who have already announced their retirement of T20Is after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup.