Rohit Sharma had been mulling retirement from Test cricket for some time and has finally decided not to prolong his red-ball career following an indifferent IPL. He will, however, continue to play ODIs.
The announcement on Wednesday evening, via a social media post, didn't surprise the followers of Indian cricket. His form since the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia had been a matter of constant introspection and not all were convinced that he would achieve success in English conditions.
Amid all this, there has been constant chatter about the BCCI's keenness to have a young captain for the next World Test Championship cycle, which begins with the five Tests in England next month.
Rohit Sharma retirement message on X
Sources told The Telegraph that the national selectors didn't wish to have a situation where the team would struggle to find a leader who could be at the helm in all five Test matches.
The Telegraph had reported last month that Rohit would continue to lead in England, but the selectors and the Board are understood to have debated further on the issue. The selectors didn't want Rohit to again step aside in the middle of a series since it wouldn't have had a positive impact on the rest of the team members.
Rohit, who turned 38 last month, didn't wish to leave it to the selectors to decide his fate as captain.
It is, however, not clear if the selectors or the BCCI had a discussion with him on the issue.
After missing the first Test in Perth because of the birth of his son, Rohit opted out of the final match in Sydney, citing poor form. He had struggled in the series, averaging just 6.20 in five innings. In the home series prior to that, he averaged just 15.16 in three Tests against New Zealand.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir said on Tuesday that any decision regarding Rohit’s future in the team would be taken by the selectors.
“First things first, a coach’s job isn’t selecting the team. It is the job of the selectors to select. The coach only selects the 11 who will play a match...” Gambhir said at the ABP Network India@2047 Summit.
“Till the time they are performing, they should be a part of the team. When you start and when you end is your individual decision. No coach, no selector, no BCCI can tell you when you should call it quits. If you perform, then why 40, you can jolly well play till 45, who’s stopping you?” he said.
Who will step into Rohit's shoes is the big question now. Jasprit Bumrah would have been the obvious choice but his spate of back injuries has forced the selectors to take a cautious approach.
The fast bowler is unlikely to play in all five Tests in England as part of his workload management.
Shubman Gill is a strong choice in the circumstances. He has already shown his leadership acumen in the IPL and has led by example.