Rohit Sharma set to announce retirement after Sydney Test? Report reveals truth

Team India skipper Rohit Sharma's name was missing from the playing XI for the fifth and final Test against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 series. There was much speculation about Rohit Sharma's future in the format, but the veteran opener is not thinking of retirement as of now.

Rohit's poor form has been a concern for India's team management. After missing out on the first Test, he batted at number six in the second match. He recorded scores of 3, 6, and 10 before moving back to the top of the order. However, he managed just 3 and 9 in the MCG Test, which India lost by 184 runs.

Our Captain Has Shown His Leadership - Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah, the team's vice-captain, was seen wearing the captain's blazer at the toss. Bumrah stated that Rohit had opted out of the match. However, Rohit's name was also absent from the list of five reserves for the game. The 38-year-old did not join the squad during the national anthem ceremony.

"Our captain has shown his leadership, he's opted to rest in this game. 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," Bumrah said at the toss.

Team India's playing XI for the fifth Border Gavaskar Test: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubhman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Prasidh Krishna, Jasprit Bumrah (c), Mohammed Siraj

Rohit Sharma Is Not Thinking of Retirement As of Now - Report

There are discussions about whether the Melbourne Test was Rohit Sharma's final appearance. However, RevSportz journalist Rohit Juglan clarified that Rohit is not currently considering retirement. He added that only time will determine whether Melbourne was his last Test match.

"Break - Rohit Sharma is not thinking of Retirement as of now. Time will decide Was Melbourne his last or not - but for now he is not retiring," Rohit Juglan wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Break - Rohit Sharma is not thinking of Retirement as of now
Time will decide Was Melbourne his last or not - but for now he is not retiring

— रोहित जुगलान Rohit Juglan (@rohitjuglan) January 2, 2025

He Might Just Pull the Plug at the End of This Test - Ravi Shastri

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has said that Rohit Sharma might retire from Test cricket after the Sydney Test. Speaking during the first day's play, Shastri added that Rohit could decide to step aside after this match, with no upcoming home Test series. He praised Rohit for potentially making a bold decision.

"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 (via ABC).

"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. He's not getting younger … 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," he added.

Also read: ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma's future laid out