After squashing retirement rumours, Rohit to lead India in England Tests – Report
Sports, Cricket: Under Rohit Sharma's leadership, India lost the home Test series to New Zealand before conceding the away BGT for the first time in a decade.
Rohit Sharma will lead India in England Tests later this year. After guiding India to its third ICC Champions Trophy title in Dubai, Rohit will continue as the Test captain for the five-match Test series against England from June to August. Amid retirement rumours, which he squashed shortly after lifting his second ICC title in two years, Rohit will retain his place in the Test side.
Rohit had a horrid run in the lead-up to the first showpiece event of the year, failing massively as a player and captain in two back-to-back Test series (against New Zealand at home and Australia Down Under). Under his leadership, India got whitewashed at home for the first time in history, with Australia reclaiming the BGT a decade later.
His performance was as timid as his chances of playing for India again since January this year - so much so that Rohit had to sit out of the final Test against the Oz in Sydney, which India lost within three days, conceding the away BGT for the first time in ten years and a chance to qualify for its third straight WTC Final.
He, however, transformed his batting before the eight-team tournament got underway, and even though he failed to convert his starts in all matches leading up to the final, he scored a match-winning 76 against New Zealand in the summit clash, helping India beat the Kiwis by four wickets and win the title.
Although reports before the grand final suggested a different story, after Rohit guided India home, it changed to an extent where Rohit got the BCCI and the selectors’ backing to lead India in another major tournament - the England Tests.
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“He has shown what he can do. Every stakeholder feels that he is the right candidate to lead the Indian side for the tour of England. Rohit too has expressed his eagerness to keep playing red-ball cricket,” a source close to the information said in a chat with the Indian Express.
Retirement rumours – all up in the air
Several reports of Rohit contemplating announcing his international retirement after the Champions Trophy final kept the fans on their toes; the Indian skipper smashed them out of the park the way he did it to the Kiwi bowlers in the final in Dubai.
Although he remained committed to delivering for Indian cricket across formats, he kept mum about his chances of featuring in the next ODI World Cup a couple of years later.
“Right now, I’m playing really well, and I’m enjoying everything I’m doing with this team and the team is enjoying my company as well, which is nice. I can’t really say 2027 because it’s too far, but I’m keeping all my options open,” Rohit said in a post-match presser.
“It’s something that really makes me happy. There are a lot of things involved, there’s so much pride and the way this team is playing, I don’t want to leave this team. The way we are playing at this point in time, there is so much joy, so much fun to play with all of them,” he added.
(With inputs from agencies)
