Rohit Sharma quits Test cricket, confirms ODI commitment in retirement post

India captain Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket on Wednesday. In a post on his Instagram story, the star batter stated that he will be focusing solely on playing in the ODI format going forward. Rohit had previously retired from the T20I format following the 2024 T20 World Cup. By making this announcement, Rohit has put an end to all the speculation surrounding his future in Test cricket.

In his Instagram post, Rohit expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to represent his country in Test cricket and thanked his fans for their support. He mentioned that he will continue to play for India in the ODI format.

“Hello everyone! I would just like to share that I am retiring from Test cricket. It has been an absolue honour to represent my country in whites. Thank you for all the love and support through the years. I will continue to represent India in ODI format,” Rohit posted in a story on Instagram.

Rohit's final appearance in Test cricket was during the fourth Test against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which India unfortunately lost. He was not selected for the fifth Test as India went on to lose the series 1-3.

With a total of 4,301 runs from 116 innings at an average of 40.57, including 12 centuries and 18 fifties, Rohit has now retired from Test cricket, leaving behind a commendable record.

Rohit was anticipated to captain India in the upcoming five-match series against England in June-July. However, he made the decision to retire from Test cricket before the squad for that series was announced.

During the 2024 season, Rohit struggled with his form, averaging only 10.93 in 15 innings across eight Test matches. This was the lowest average among top-seven batters with a minimum of 15 innings in the 2024-25 Test season.

Throughout his career, Rohit captained India in 24 Test matches, achieving 12 victories and suffering nine losses. In June 2024, he announced his retirement from T20Is following India's win against South Africa in the 2024 T20 World Cup final.

BCCI also posted on X.

IPL match schedule and Operation Sindoor

The matchup between the Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians has been relocated from Dharamshala to Mumbai due to operational constraints at the Dharamshala Airport, as well as the scheduling conflict on May 11 at the HPCA stadium. The decision to move the match was confirmed by a report from ANI.

In addition, the Indian armed forces conducted Operation Sindoor, a precision missile strike targeting nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The strike specifically focused on core areas of Jaish-e-Mohammed in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Muridke during the early hours on Wednesday.

Given the current situation with flight cancellations in multiple regions of India, there is a possibility that the upcoming fixture between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals in Dharamshala may also need to be rescheduled. Airlines have cancelled their flight operations in 11 cities across north, northwestern, and central India until May 10. 

“The match schedule between DC and PBKS tomorrow is also in danger as BCCI realises Dharamshala is near the border, and the board is in touch with the government and waiting to get clearance for the match,” news agency ANI reported.