39-year-old Rohit Sharma has now officially relinquished the captaincy of the Indian Test cricket team. His move follows a string of disastrous showings. He’s made a big impact 67 Tests since his debut. In 2022, he stepped into the captaincy role from Virat Kohli’s stead and has overseen three full years of the team’s evolution. Under his captaincy, India became the best and the worst. Sadly, his productive tenure was brought to a challenging close with a sudden spate of defeats.
In a significant downturn for Indian cricket, Sharma’s leadership faced its toughest test with a shocking 3-0 defeat at home against New Zealand, marking India’s first home Test series loss in 12 years. After this disappointment, he lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 3-1 to Australia, putting even more pressure on his position. Sharma took note of his recent struggles, inviting major criticism, and made the drastic move to drop himself from the must-win fifth Test in Sydney. Consequently, Jasprit Bumrah was asked to take charge as captain on an interim basis for two Tests.
Even with all these obstacles, Sharma’s record as captain speaks for itself. He played in 24 Tests and won 12 of them. This brilliant 72.38% win percentage makes him second in line only to Virat Kohli among Indian captains. He took India to the final of the inaugural World Test Championship in 2023. At The Oval, he came unstuck against Australia. His legacy to Indian cricket is more than Tests. He is now in charge of the ODI side and has just taken India to a record victory in Champions Trophy.
India arrive in England with great anticipation for a five-match Test series that begins at Headingley on June 20th. Sharma will not be at the helm in this series. This transition is the beginning of thrilling new chapter for Indian cricket. They’re looking to capitalize on their recent successes and prepare themselves for the imminent changing of the guard in leadership.
Sharma has welcomed this transformative phase in his career with open arms. He expressed gratitude to all those who had helped him on his journey in Test cricket.
“It’s been an absolute honour to represent my country in whites. Thank you for all the love and support over the years. I will continue to represent India in the ODI format.” – Rohit Sharma
The Board of Control for Cricket in India paid tribute to his services too, writing,
“Thank you, Captain. End of an era in whites! … We are proud of you, Hitman.” – The Board of Control for Cricket in India
