Tag: Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma, the ODI and Test captain of India, is likely to announce his retirement from international cricket after the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, Indian media reported on Tuesday.

According to a recent report, Rohit Sharma, who has already stepped down from T20 cricket after successfully guiding India to a triumphant victory in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, is reportedly considering retirement from the remaining formats as well.

Sources within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) suggest that there was a mutual agreement for Sharma to captain the former champions in the Champions Trophy, under the stipulation that he would call it quits afterwards.

It’s worth noting that Rohit Sharma has been under fire lately due to his below-par performance in the Test series against New Zealand and Australia.

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He was rested from the fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this month after accumulating a mere 31 runs over the course of five innings during the five-match series.

Further reports also suggest that Rohit Sharma is likely to travel to Pakistan for a pre-tournament photoshoot and a joint press conference featuring the captains of all participating teams of the Champions Trophy.

This event, organised under ICC rules, traditionally takes place in the host country, which for 2025 is Pakistan.

A final decision on Rohit Sharma’s participation in the event is yet to be made, with considerations underway. Indian media noted, “If this visit materialises, it will be a joyous moment for cricket fans in both nations.”

WATCH: Wasim Akram reveals iconic white jacket for Champions Trophy 2025

India captain Rohit Sharma refuted the rumours of his retirement on Saturday while revealing that he stood down from the ongoing fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia due to his below-par form.

The acclaimed opener has had a poor series, with critics suggesting his omission from the Test — with the visitors down 2-1 going into the match at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) — was the end of his red-ball career.

But the 37-year-old has hit back, telling Indian broadcaster Star Sports at the SCG: “I’m not going anywhere.”

“This decision is not a retirement decision nor am I going to step aside from the game,” Rohit Sharma added.

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Rohit Sharma missed the first Test in Perth for the birth of his second child and has not looked fully engaged since, failing to get past 10 runs in any of his five innings.

Rohit said that he had told the coach and selectors that he was “not in form” and that for the critical final Test, the team needed “a player in form”.

His recent lacklustre performances come on the back of a similarly poor return during India’s 3-0 home series loss to New Zealand during October-November.

Stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah insisted at the coin toss on Friday that Rohit had “opted to rest” for the good of the team rather than being forced out.

READ: Jasprit Bumrah leaves Sydney Test with possible injury

Former India coach Ravi Shastri said on Friday that he expected skipper Rohit Sharma to “pull the plug” on his red-ball career after being left out of the fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in Sydney.

The 37-year-old opener has had a poor series and the writing was on the wall when he failed to show up for India’s pre-match press conference.

Coach Gautam Gambhir instead fronted the media on Thursday and declined to throw his support behind him.

Stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah insisted at the coin toss Friday that Rohit had “opted to rest” for the good of the team rather than being forced out.

Ravi Shastri believes Rohit jumped rather than was pushed but suspects it is the end of his 67-Test career.

“It still is a brave call for a captain to own up and say, ‘I’m prepared to take the bench in this game,'” Shastri said while commentating on Fox Sports.

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“If there was a home season coming up he might’ve thought of carrying on, but I think he might just pull the plug at the end of this Test.

“It’s not that India don’t have youngsters. There are very, very good players in the wings and it’s time to build.

“Tough decisions, but there is a time for everything.”

Rohit Sharma quit T20I cricket last year after lifting the World Cup, but is yet to call time on his ODI career. He missed the first Test in Perth for the birth of his second child and has not looked fully engaged since, failing to get past 10 runs in any of his five innings.

His recent form comes on the back of a similarly poor return during India’s 3-0 home series loss to New Zealand during October-November.

“Our captain has shown his leadership, he’s opted to rest in this game,” Bumrah said at the toss. “So that shows there’s a lot of unity in our team, there’s no selfishness, whatever is in the team’s best interest, we are looking to do that.”

READ: South Africa make three changes to Playing XI for second Pakistan Test

India coach Gautam Gambhir declined to confirm on Thursday whether embattled skipper Rohit Sharma would play in the decisive fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia but said he was “extremely confident” his team could win.

There will be at least one change to the side that lost the fourth Test at Melbourne this week by 184 runs after pace bowler Akash Deep was ruled out with a back problem.

Either Harshit Rana or Prasidh Krishna could play instead in the match which begins in Sydney on Friday.

Opening batter Rohit has failed to get past 10 runs in any of his five innings in Australia, with speculation mounting that the veteran could be axed.

The captain was not at India’s eve-of-match press conference at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Instead Gautam Gambhir faced the media but offered no confirmation of Rohit’s fate.

“Everything is fine with Rohit and I don’t think it’s anything traditional,” he said when asked why Rohit was absent from the usual media duties.

“The head coach is here and that should be good enough. We are going to have a look at the wicket and finalise (the team) tomorrow.”

Asked again if Rohit would be part of that team, Gambhir responded: “The answer remains the same.”

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Rohit Sharma missed the first Test in Perth for the birth of his second child, with Jasprit Bumrah assuming the captaincy and guiding India to their only win of the five-match series so far.

Superstar batter Virat Kohli is also under pressure. Aside from scoring 100 not out in Perth, he has struggled to get out of single figures.

In contrast, younger batsmen such as Yashasvi Jaiswal and Nitish Kumar Reddy have excelled.

“It is not about phasing out senior players or getting the youngsters in,” Gambhir said. “Ultimately the only thing that can keep you in that dressing room is performance.”

Australia are currently leading the series 2-1 with India needing to win in Sydney to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Gambhir said he remained upbeat despite the victory in Perth being India’s only win in their last seven Tests.

“Extremely confident,” he said. “We know we have the skill sets, the individuals, we’ve got everything in that dressing room that can win a Test match here.

“Not only here, but will probably go on to do some unbelievable things in the future as well.”

READ: Mitchell Marsh dropped as Australia unveil Playing XI for fifth Test against India

India captain Rohit Sharma has discussed the possibility of calling up pace bowler Mohammed Shami for the remaining two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.

Shami was not selected for the tour of Australia because of an ankle surgery that sidelined him for nearly a year.

He underwent the surgery in February and was on track to return to the national team. However, he aggravated a knee issue during his rehabilitation, which further delayed his comeback.

The right-handed pacer achieved match fitness last month and returned to action for his domestic team Bengal, under the monitoring of the National Cricket Academy (NCA).

During the post-match press conference after the drawn third Test, Rohit Sharma was asked if Shami could make a comeback in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

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However, the Indian captain emphasized that the team management would consider Mohammed Shami only after receiving full assurance from the NCA.

“About Shami, I think it’s high time somebody from NCA talks about him, where he is rehabbing,” Rohit said. “Those guys are the ones who need to come up and give us some kind of update.”

“I understand he’s playing a lot of cricket back home, but there have been some complaints about his knee as well.

“So, look, the last thing you want is the player coming here and then pulling out in the middle of the game. You know what happens when that kind of thing happens.

“So, there is no way we want to take that chance unless we are like, not 100%, 200% sure, we’re not going to take any risk.

“But yeah, as I said in the last press conference, the door is open if those guys at the NCA feel that he is okay to go and recover and play, we’ll be happy to have him.”

READ: South Africa name two uncapped players in squad for Pakistan Tests

India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Monday backed “incredibly tough men” Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to prove their critics wrong and find form in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.

Skipper Rohit and superstar batter Kohli came under fire after India suffered a humiliating 3-0 Test series defeat against New Zealand at their home soil.

Rohit scored 91 runs in three matches, while Kohli managed just 93.

Speaking just before India flew off to Australia for a blockbuster five-match Test series, Gambhir said he had “no concerns for Virat and Rohit”.

“They are incredibly tough men,” he said. “They’ve achieved a lot for Indian cricket and they will continue to achieve a lot in the future as well.”

Gautam Gambhir hit out at Ricky Ponting after the former Australia captain questioned the longer-term form of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

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“What does Ponting have to do with Indian cricket?” Gambhir said.

Gambhir said the Indian team as a whole were eager to prove themselves after the New Zealand defeat, only their second Test series whitewash at home.

“I feel there is a lot of hunger, especially after what has happened in the last series,” he said.

Gambhir believes the biggest challenge in Australia will be the quicker pitches compared to India, where conditions are traditionally spin-friendly.

But Gambhir said his under-the-cosh side were ready to “fire from ball one” in a series that starts in Perth on November 22.

“We’ve been to Australia many times, so that experience will be crucial,” said the coach, who has also faced some flak.

“If we play to our potential, we play our best cricket, we can beat anyone on any wicket.”

READ: Varun Chakravarthy’s five-fer in vain as South Africa edge past India in low-scoring thriller

Rohit Sharma, the ODI and Test captain of India, recently discussed the possibility of his team’s participation in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which will be hosted by Pakistan.

The ninth edition of the Champions Trophy is scheduled to take place in Pakistan in the February- March window in 2025, however, India’s participation in the tournament is uncertain as the BCCI seeks the government’s approval to visit the country.

Furthermore, reports emerged in Indian media, citing a source from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), that Team India will not be visiting Pakistan for the Champions Trophy citing security concerns.

The reports also suggest that the BCCI has expressed their desire to move their matches to Dubai.

During a recent media interaction, Rohit Sharma was asked about the possibility of India’s tour to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.

In response, he emphasized that the players have no issue in visiting any country to play cricket, however, the ultimate decision rests with the BCCI rather than the players themselves.

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“The decision is not in our hands. It will be made by the cricket boards, and we are focused on the tournament ahead,” said Sharma. “If we are sent to Pakistan, there will be no issue.”

It’s worth noting that Mohsin Naqvi, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, recently revealed that the cricket board is yet to receive any official confirmation from the BCCI about not visiting Pakistan for the global eight-team tournament.

“Although there’s a lot of talk [in media] that India may not come, we have received no official statement [from the BCCI],” said Naqvi.

“Our stance is that India should give us a written confirmation if they are not coming for the Champions Trophy.”

Mohsin Naqvi reiterated that the PCB is not considering a hybrid model and is determined to host the Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan.

“We maintain that the Champions Trophy will only be hosted in Pakistan, and there’s been no discussion of a hybrid model,” he added.

READ: Former cricketers react after Pakistan’s historic series victory against Australia

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma came under fire Monday as India chewed over a 3-0 Test series home defeat to New Zealand, with critics calling the team ageing and low on confidence.

The cricket superpower went down by 25 runs on Sunday in the third Test inside three days at Mumbai for only their second series whitewash at home. It sealed New Zealand’s historic first-ever Test series triumph on Indian soil.

For India there is little time to fix things — they travel to Australia for a five-match Test series starting on November 22.

“Losing 3-0 at home is a tough pill to swallow and it calls for introspection,” former skipper Sachin Tendulkar wrote on social media.

“Was it lack of preparation, was it poor shot selection or was it lack of match practice?”

India went into the series against the Black Caps second in the ICC Test rankings, behind Australia, and as clear favourites.

But repeated batting collapses — they were 46 all out in their first innings in the opening Test — set alarm bells ringing. It hardly got much better from there.

“I accept the fact that we were not good enough with the bat in the entire series,” said skipper Rohit Sharma.

It particularly showed the Indian batsmen’s surprising inability to handle spinners on turning pitches in their own backyard.

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Mitchell Santner took 13 wickets in the second match while Mumbai-born New Zealander Ajaz Patel took 11 in the third Test to condemn India.

With Australia looming large, the form of 37-year-old Rohit and superstar batsman Kohli, 35, is of particular concern to Indian cricket fans. Rohit made 91 runs in three matches. Kohli is just 93.

“The cold fact is that this is now a team in transition with key figures ageing, out of form and low on confidence,” the Times of India newspaper wrote.

“Two of their stalwarts, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, seem to be in a state of terminal batting decline with a strange reluctance to acknowledge it and take corrective action like polishing their game by playing in domestic cricket,” it added.

Indian media reported that all senior players, including Rohit and Kohli, had been advised to play the domestic Duleep Trophy four-day matches, but the players refused due to a “lack of motivation”.

“They should have had some practice, definitely,” former India captain Sunil Gavaskar told the Indian Express.

“I know we beat Bangladesh and therefore it looked as if it was going to be a cakewalk against New Zealand,” Gavaskar added.

“But New Zealand, obviously, had a better attack, with cricketers who have played in India and in the IPL, who have a sense of what Indian pitches do.”

Rohit and Kohli retired from T20 cricket after the team’s World Cup triumph in June.

Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, 38, and Ravindra Jadeja, 35, also suddenly look like age is catching up with them, critics said.

READ: Pakistan can beat India in Test: Wasim Akram after New Zealand’s 3-0 win

India skipper Rohit Sharma said Saturday he would not put undue pressure on his team despite going down to New Zealand and losing a first home Test series for 12 years.

New Zealand thrashed India by 113 runs in Pune to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series — the Black Caps’ first-ever series win on Indian soil.

For India, it was their first home series defeat since Alastair Cook’s England edged them 2-1 in December 2012.

“I am not going to react differently,” Rohit Sharma told reporters. “Look at the games that we have won in India. There are more good things that have happened than bad.

“I don’t want to create that environment where people start doubting themselves, taking unnecessary pressure. Of course you will lose a series here and there,” he added.

“I don’t need to open a medical kit and start doing different things. It’s important to understand that this team has done some wonderful things in the past.”

Tom Latham’s men ended India’s record of 18 consecutive bilateral home series wins after the tourists bowled out India for 245 in their chase of 359.

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India suffered batting collapses in this series including 46 all out in the opener and then 156 in the first innings of the second match.

Their spin attack was also outshone by New Zealand’s slow bowlers, led by Mitchell Santner.

“I think we didn’t play well enough in these two games and that is hurting,” said Rohit.

“It is a collective failure from the bowlers and the batters, so if you lose a Test match, it is not just because of one particular thing, it is just the entire unit collectively failing.”

Santner returned a match haul of 13 wickets with his left-arm spin to flatten the opposition who were batting on a turning pitch laid out to assist the home spinners.

New Zealand batters stood out as they played spin with aplomb including Devon Conway (76) and Rachin Ravindra (65) in the first innings.

“A few key things we wanted to do and one of them was to fire a shot at India,” said Latham.

“Try and play a little more of attacking brand, because we know how good India are in these conditions and we wanted to put them under a bit of pressure, and I think we have done that in the last couple of games.”

READ: “Too good for our batting,” Stokes on ruthless spin duo of Noman, Sajid

Skipper Rohit Sharma on Thursday said he was “hurting” after opting to bat first on a seaming pitch as hosts India fell to a dismal 46 all out against New Zealand.

Kiwi fast bowlers Matt Henry and William O’Rourke wreaked havoc in overcast conditions to dismiss India in 31.2 overs on the first Test’s second afternoon in Bengaluru.

It was India’s third-lowest Test score ever and lowest at home, worse than their 75 against the West Indies in New Delhi in 1987.

Their lowest overall is 36 against Australia in a pink-ball Adelaide Test in 2020. They fell for 42 against England at Lord’s in 1974.

“We felt there was not much grass on the pitch and it will do whatever it has to do in the first couple of sessions and then it is going to take a turn as the game goes on,” Rohit told reporters.

“We expected the wicket to be flatter than what it turned out to be. So clearly misjudgement of the pitch.

“Obviously I didn’t read the pitch enough and we sit in that situation today.”

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Five Indian batsmen including Virat Kohli got out for a duck as Henry and O’Rourke shared nine wickets between them in a rare show of domination by opposition bowlers in India.

“I am hurting a little bit because I made that call,” said Rohit. “But we want to challenge ourselves.

“This time it didn’t come off, the challenge that was thrown at us.”

Former captain Tim Southee drew first blood as he bowled Rohit Sharma through the gate.

Fellow quick O’Rourke silenced the crowd when he sent back Kohli for nought.

Henry wrapped up the innings with a five-wicket haul and his last strike of Kuldeep Yadav was his 100th Test wicket.

“It was a good toss to lose,” said Henry.

“It was quite nice when those clouds started coming in.

“I think we were expecting it to be a flatter wicket but there was plenty of assistance this morning.

“It was great that we could make the most of it.”

New Zealand have the upper hand on India with a lead of 134 as they ended the day on 180-3 after Devon Conway’s 91.

Henry warned his team against letting their guard down.

“We can’t be complacent at all,” he said.

“We’ve just got to keep mounting pressure.”

READ: South Africa stun Australia to qualify for Women’s T20 World Cup final