A legend of Indian cricket, Rohit Sharma, announced a shock decision to quit Test cricket on Wednesday. With the big announcement being made in the middle of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, many wondered what the conversation might have been between Rohit and the selection committee. It was being reported over the last few days that the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee has started the process of squad selection for the England tour. A conversation between Rohit, the coaches, and the selectors, hence, seems to have played a big role in the skipper quitting the red-ball format.
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As per a report in the Indian Express, the decision-makers in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) didn't want to repeat the same mistakes they made on the England tour. Hence, stability in the team was given paramount importance. Rohit had struggled in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, averaging just 6.20 in five innings. His performances were such that he decided to drop himself for the final Test in Sydney.
The move even triggered retirement talks back then, but Rohit made it clear that he intends to continue the red-ball format. He even made a return to the Ranji Trophy, hoping to prove to the selectors that he is serious about his Test career. But it all changed on Wednesday.
"The selectors' thought process is clear. They want a new leader for the England tour, and Rohit doesn't fit in as a captain, especially considering his red-ball form. They want to groom a young leader for the next Test cycle, and the selection committee has informed the BCCI that Rohit won't lead the team," a source in the Indian board was quoted as saying by the paper.
It has been reported that the selectors were hesitant to make Rohit the captain for the England tour and wanted to select him as a pure batter. Such a situation would allow the management to drop Rohit from the playing XI in case of poor form. This learning was taken from the Australia tour, where Rohit couldn't be dropped as he was the captain.
In a recent interview with former Australian captain Michael Clarke in his podcast 'Beyond 23', Rohit had expressed his excitement in leading the Indian team with a bowling attack of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj in England. Over the last 4-5 months, Rohit had expressed his desire to regain his form and contribute to India's Test team with the bat as well as with his leadership. But the communication from the BCCI and the selection committee was enough for him to retire from the format.