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STUMP VISION MAY 23, 2025 | The Indian Eye 43

THE FINAL RO-TREAT:

Sharma Steps Away from Test Arena

Rohit Sharma’s Test journey wasn’t linear,

but it was deeply rewarding—especially in its second act

ARCHAN MEHTA

ohit Sharma’s decision to retire
from Test cricket has landed
Rlike an unannounced bounc-
er—quiet in its arrival, thunderous in
its impact. Dropped via Instagram, just
ahead of a high-voltage five-Test series
in England, the timing has caught both
fans and selectors off guard. Rohit ex-
its not with a farewell lap but with a
whisper, leaving behind the longest Rohit Sharma in action (ANI)
format that once seemed to redefine
his career. Recent struggles—only 122
runs in his last 10 Test innings—and isn’t a regular in the playing XI any- rently injured, but hard to overlook elegance with grit. He didn’t just open
a bruising 3-0 series loss at home to more. With the new World Test Cham- after a mountain of domestic runs and the innings; he opened India’s hopes
New Zealand likely nudged the deci- pionship cycle kicking off in England, a striking 150 against New Zealand with every start.
sion. But more than just numbers, it it makes tactical and symbolic sense earlier this year. It’s not just about Now, as the Ajit Agarkar-led se-
feels like a carefully timed retreat. In to hand over the reins to someone ex- plugging a hole anymore—it’s about lection committee prepares for the
just the last two years, Rohit led India pected to be around till at least 2030. defining India’s middle-order DNA England tour, Indian cricket stands
to two ICC finals and capped it with a Gill could well be the start of a new for the future. at a crossroads. Rohit’s stats—nearly
T20 World Cup win in 2024. His Test era, not just a patch-up job. Rohit’s Test journey wasn’t linear, 4000 runs in Tests, 37 matches as cap-
retirement now creates a double vacu- Meanwhile, the scramble to fill but it was deeply rewarding—especial- tain—are impressive, but his influence
um: India must replace both its open- the middle order is turning into a ly in its second act. His knock of 212 in runs deeper. He brought poise at the
er and its red-ball leader at once. desi reality show—think Bigg Boss: Ranchi (2019) as a freshly promoted top, tactical calm in pressure, and a
In this leadership reboot, all signs Dressing Room Edition. With KL Ra- opener against South Africa was not late-career resurgence that became
point toward Shubman Gill—calm, hul likely to open alongside Yashasvi just a milestone but a message: he be- a case study in second chances. As
composed, and loading... please wait Jaiswal, a spot opens up in the middle, longed. That same year, he launched Ravi Shastri once said, Rohit was like
while selectors clear the cache. At triggering auditions across formats. his opener journey with a 176 in Vizag, a “Swiss watch”—precision, grace,
25, Gill has never captained India in Dhruv Jurel, who showed impressive in partnership with Mayank Agarwal. and always on time when it mattered.
a Test or ODI, but led a second-string grit in Ranchi against England, is In 2021, he produced a match-win- While he may still return in ODIs,
T20I side in Zimbabwe in 2024 and emerging as a solid long-term keep- ning 161 on a spinning Chennai pitch possibly with the 2027 World Cup in
currently heads the Gujarat Titans in er-batter, possibly Pant’s understudy. against England and followed it up sight, his Test story has officially been
the IPL. His captaincy arc is still form- Karun Nair, once dropped despite a with a brilliant 127 at The Oval—his bookmarked. For Indian cricket, the
ing, but there’s polish in progress. Jas- triple century, has barged back into first overseas Test century. His 120 next chapter starts now—not just with
prit Bumrah, the current vice-captain, contention after an 863-run Ranji sea- against Australia in Nagpur (2023) new faces, but with a new identity.
remains a capable leader but already son and county cricket consistency. B as captain was a lesson in composure One that builds on Rohit’s legacy, but
carries the burden of leading the pace Sai Sudharsan’s blend of calm tem- on a tough track. From his debut cen- writes its own script.
attack across all three formats—he’s perament and domestic plus IPL form tury of 177 against the West Indies in Archan Mehta is a San Jose-based writer
India’s Ferrari, not a delivery truck. makes him a compelling pick. And of 2013 to a crucial 83 at Lord’s in 2021, dedicated to telling compelling stories about
KL Rahul, despite past experience, course, there’s Sarfaraz Khan—cur- Rohit stitched a career that balanced athletes, teams, and the world of cricket

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