Refuting speculations of retirement from the longest format, India skipper Rohit Sharma on Saturday cleared the air following his non-selection for the ongoing fifth and final Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test match in Sydney.

Averaging just 6.2 across his five innings across the series, Rohit is yet to taste victory on the tour, also missing his side’s win in the first Test in Perth due to the birth of his second child. In the lead-up to the Sydney Test, the 37-year-old’s prolonged lean patch led to him opting out of the crucial fixture, with Jasprit Bumrah taking charge of the team.

Advertisement

With speculations about his retirement gaining ground, Rohit came out to address the elephant in the room, in which he stated, “This is not a decision to retire, nor am I stepping away from the game. I’ve stood down for this match because I wasn’t scoring runs with the bat at the moment.”

“There is no guarantee that runs won’t come five or two months down the line. I have seen a lot in cricket that life changes every second, every minute, every day,” Rohit told host broadcaster Star Sports.

Rohit also reiterated that the decision to sit out of the Sydney Test isn’t impacted by what people write or say, but was based on his current form.

“I have confidence in myself that things can change, but at the same time I have to be realistic as well. So life won’t change by what people with a mic, pen or laptop write or say. They can’t decide when we should retire, when we should sit out, or when we should captain. I am a sensible man, mature man, father of two kids. So I know what I need in life.”

“I am not in form and it’s an important game. We need an in-form player. Our batting order isn’t in form at the moment. So out of form players can’t carry the team at the moment. So this was the simple thing in my mind. It was my understanding that I should tell the coach and the selector and they backed my call,’’ he said.

Rohit’s form has been a concern for a while. He had averaged 13.30 over 10 innings against Bangladesh and New Zealand during the 2023-24 home season. Besides that, he was at the helm of the unprecedented 3-0 whitewash to New Zealand, India’s first home-series loss since 2012-13.

India need to win the Sydney Test match to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and to keep slim hopes of snaring a World Test Championship Final spot alive. A win for the hosts would both lock in an Australia/South Africa World Test Championship Final at Lord’s in June, and end a 10-year absence of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in the cabinet.

Advertisement