Jaydev Shah, who worked as the team manager during India’s recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) campaign, has shed light on Rohit Sharma’s Test retirement.Â
There had been a lot of talk around the decision. Rohit was left out of the final Test of the BGT 2024-25 against Australia in Sydney. Some believed he was dropped because of poor form. He played three matches on the tour and scored just 31 runs at an average of 6.20.
Shah, however, made it clear that Rohit Sharma made the call himself and decided to retire from Test cricket to make way for the next generation.
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Forced Out or Voluntary Exit? Ex-Team India Manager Opens Up on Rohit Sharma’s Test Retirement
Shah dismissed rumours that the BCCI had pressured Rohit to call time on his Test career. He revealed that the veteran made the decision to quit Tests on his own terms.Â
The BCCI, he said, was preparing for the next cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC), and Rohit believed it was the right time to move aside, allowing the next generation of players to settle in.
"He had a baby, he came back and he couldn’t make runs. Okay, he was out of form. He was dropped from the last Test, but then he won the Champions Trophy. I think he thought it was time for him to play white ball more than red ball and give another cricketer a chance. I think the board was looking at things like, we have to prepare our team for the next championship. That’s a two-year cycle so it’s better if new players get set and get there," Shah as quoted said in the Voices of Impact podcast with Arjun Mirani.
Rohit’s recent injury history was also a factor, said Shah. Notably, the 38-year-old played the Champions Trophy 2025 despite a hamstring injury.
"And it didn’t seem like Rohit could take it for two more years. He also had his injury, he didn’t play a couple of IPL matches because of that either. I think that’s what he thought, and left for the team to grow and build nicely in the new cycle. Such big decisions are taken by big people like Rohit themselves," he added.
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Uncertainty Over Rohit Sharma’s White-Ball FutureÂ
With Rohit retiring from Tests, India appointed Shubman Gill as the new Test captain. The team is currently playing the fifth and final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England at The Oval. They trail 1-2 in the series.
Rohit remains active in white-ball cricket. After guiding India to the T20 World Cup 2024 title, Rohit announced his retirement from T20Is.
He still plays ODIs. However, recent reports suggest that India might be looking at future in ODIs as well and are likely to name Gill as the new captain in the format.
