Was Rohit Sharma Forced to Retire from Tests? Ex-Team India Manager REVEALS the Truth

Rohit Sharma’s Test retirement after losing captaincy sparked rift rumours with the BCCI. However, sources say it was his call to focus on ODIs, citing fitness, form, and plans to mentor young players ahead of the 2027 World Cup as key reasons.

Before India’s squad announcement for the Test tour of England, Rohit Sharma stunned the Indian cricket fraternity by announcing his retirement from the longest format of the game after playing 67 matches for 12 years.

Rohit’s decision to quit red-ball cricket before the ongoing crucial Test series against England came after the BCCI selectors reportedly removed him from the captaincy duties, which was eventually handed over to Shubman Gill when BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar announced the 18-member squad at the board’s headquarters in Mumbai.

However, the timing of Rohit Sharma’s Test retirement sparked intense speculation, despite the Indian batter’s willingness to perform well in the England Test series. The reports suggested that the BCCI selection committee was looking ahead and asked Rohit to communicate his future plans after the Champions Trophy 2025, which India successfully clinched under his captaincy.

The rumours of a rift and eventual retirement from Tests

After leading Team India to their second Champions Trophy triumph by defeating New Zealand in the final, there were reports that the BCCI selection committee backed Rohit Sharma to lead the side in the Test series against England.

However, things went another way as the selectors sacked Rohit as Test captain a couple of weeks before the squad announcement for the England tour. On the day reports emerged of his sacking from Test captaincy, the veteran Indian batter took to his Instagram handle to announce his decision to pull the curtains on his red-ball career.

There were rumours and speculations about the rift between the BCCI and Rohit Sharma over his performance in the Tests in the last year, especially the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2025, where he scored just 31 runs at an abysmal average of 6.20. Rohit faced criticism over India’s two successive series defeats at the hands of New Zealand and Australia.

Since the BCCI selectors were reportedly looking at the future in Tests and ODIs, they were keen on transitioning to a younger core of the squad, prompting the board to remove Rohit Sharma as India’s red-ball captain and eventually calling it quits from his Test career.

Was Rohit forced to retire from Test Cricket?

Even after two months of Rohit Sharma’s Test retirement, the speculations around his rift rumours with the BCCI are still swirling. Jaydev Shah, who was India’s manager for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy last year, cleared the air on the rift rumours.

Speaking on a podcast, Jaydev stated that Rohit decided to retire from Test cricket in order to make way for younger players. He further stated that the veteran Indian batter wanted to focus more on ODI than Tests in the final stages of his career following the disastrous outing in the Australia Test series.

“He had a baby, he came back, and he couldn’t make runs. Okay, he was out of form. He was dropped from the last Test, but then he won the Champions Trophy,” an ex-Team India manager said.

“I think he thought it was time for him to play white ball more than red ball and give another cricketer a chance. I think the board was looking at things like, we have to prepare our team for the next championship. That’s a two-year cycle, so it’s better if new players get set and get there,” he added.

Rohit Sharma has already retired from the T20Is after leading Team India to the T20 World Cup triumph last year, defeating South Africa in the final at Barbados. After retiring from Tests and T20Is, ODI cricket remains the only format for Rohit to continue representing India, with the 2027 World Cup likely to be his final international assignment.

‘Didn’t seem like Rohit could take it for two more years’

Jaydev Shah further stated that Rohit Sharma’s fitness issues might have prompted him to retire from Test Cricket, adding that such decisions can be taken by him only.

“And it didn’t seem like Rohit could take it for two more years. He also had his injury; he didn’t play a couple of IPL matches because of that either,” Jaydev added.

“I think that’s what he thought, and left for the team to grow and build nicely in the new cycle. Such big decisions are taken by big people like Rohit themselves,” he concluded.

Rohit Sharma is likely to return to international duties when Team India takes on Australia in an away three-match ODI series, which will take place in October this year.