Rohit Sharma Test retirement on the horizon as Ajit Agarkar braces for challenging talks ahead

Rohit Sharma’s Test retirement could be on the cards, with the India captain’s recent struggles with the bat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 raising questions about his future in the longest format. According to reports, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar is set for difficult talks with the skipper, as discussions around his Test career intensify.

Rohit Sharma Test retirement on the horizon

The captain of the India National Cricket Team was one of the standout batters in the previous cycle of the ICC World Test Championship, with just five single-digit dismissals in 43 innings between 2019 and 2023.

However, this year, his form has taken a sharp downturn, with his tally of single-digit scores doubling to 10 in only 25 innings in 2024. Rohit Sharma’s struggles with the bat have become a major concern for Team India, and many cricket experts believe that his dip in form is now impacting his decision-making on the field as well.

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In the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Rohit Sharma struggled with the bat, managing scores of just 3, 6, and 10 in his first two matches. In the ongoing Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, he was dismissed for 3 runs off 5 balls by Pat Cummins in the second over.

This dismissal marked the fifth time Rohit has been sent back by the Australian skipper in Test cricket, setting a new record. With this wicket, Pat Cummins joined Richie Benaud and Imran Khan on the list of captains who have dismissed an opposing captain five times in Test matches—Benaud and Khan did so to Ted Dexter and Sunil Gavaskar, respectively.

Overall, Rohit Sharma’s form has been dismal, with just 155 runs in his last eight Test innings, averaging a meager 11.07.

According to a PTI report, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief selector Ajit Agarkar, currently in Melbourne, may soon have a difficult conversation with Rohit Sharma regarding his future in Test cricket.

The prevailing view is that if India fails to reach their third consecutive World Test Championship final, Rohit could be forced to retire from the format after the fifth and final Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The report also reveals that Rohit was reportedly reluctant to relinquish his opening spot to KL Rahul and shift to the middle order following his absence from the Perth Test. This created a selection dilemma, leading to Shubman Gill being dropped from the playing XI to accommodate Rohit at the top of the order in the Melbourne Test, with KL Rahul being pushed to No. 3.

“Unless Rohit Sharma can do something in the last three innings, I think his career could certainly be coming to an end,” Mark Waugh said on Fox Sports.