"If I were the Indian Coach.."- Ravi Shastri leaks Rohit Sharma talk on Gautam Gambhir's vile move

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri made a huge statement on Rohit Sharma, who announced his retirement from Tests ahead of the England tour. Shastri stated that Rohit Sharma should have ended his Test career after the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar series in Australia earlier this year.

Rohit Sharma decided to retire from Tests following his underwhelming performances. He scored just 31 runs in three Tests at an average of 6.20 during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, which India lost 1-3. Notably, he missed both the series opener and the final match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Rohit Sharma Would Have Played That Last Test Match - Ravi Shastri

Ravi Shastri said he would have supported Rohit Sharma playing in the last match despite his poor form if he were the coach. Shastri added that giving up when the series was still alive wasn’t his approach.

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“I saw Rohit a lot at the toss. At the toss, you don't get enough time to speak. Though I did put my hand on his shoulder in one of the games," Shastri told the ICC.

“I think it was in Mumbai and told him, if I was coach you would have never not played that last Test match. You would have played that last Test match because the series wasn't over," he added.

“And I'm not someone who threw in the towel with the scoreline 2-1. If your mindset is you feel you are… that's not the stage, you leave a team.”

That Series Would Have Been Level - Ravi Shastri

Ravi Shastri said that Rohit Sharma should have played in the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney. He added that Rohit could have influenced the game, and scoring 30 or 40 runs on the challenging Sydney pitch would have made a significant difference and might have leveled the series.

“That was a 30-40 run game. And that's exactly what I told him. The pitch was so spicy in Sydney. Whatever kind of form he was in, he is a match-winner. If he had gone, sensed the situation, sensed the condition, and smashed it for even 35-40 at the top, you never know."

"That series would have been level. But that's each one to his own,” Shastri said during the aforementioned conversation."

“Other people have different styles. This would have been my style and I let him know it. It's sitting in my heart for a long time. I had to get it out. And I told him that,” he added.

Australia, led by Pat Cummins, secured a 3-1 series win over India in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy by winning the fifth Test by six wickets. India played the second innings without their key bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who was sidelined due to a back injury.

BCCI Is Set to Announce the New Captain and Squad Soon

The 38-year-old batter made his debut in 2013. He scored 4,301 runs in 67 matches at an average of 40.57, including 12 centuries and 18 half-centuries. Sharma also led the Indian team in 24 Tests, with a 50% win rate, and captained the side to the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 final clash.

However, Rohit averaged just 10.93 in his last eight Tests. The team now needs to find a new opening partner for Yashasvi Jaiswal and appoint a new captain ahead of their five-match Test series in England starting June 20 at Headingley, Leeds. The BCCI is set to announce the new captain and squad soon.

Also read: Gautam Gambhir fights with senior BCCI officials in Shubman Gill's Test Captaincy fiasco