Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket on May 7.
Rohit’s decision comes days before the announcement of India’s squad for the upcoming five-Test tour of England, starting on June 20 in Leeds.
“Hello, everyone. I would just like to share that I am retiring from Test cricket. It’s been an absolute honour to represent my country in whites,” Rohit wrote on social media.
“Thank you for all the love and support over the years. I will continue to represent India in the ODI format,” he added.
Following his retirement, congratulatory messages and best wishes poured in for the veteran opener from the cricket fraternity.
Former India batter Manoj Tiwary also paid tribute to Rohit Sharma, saying that latter deserved a ceremonial farewell, given his contributions as the Test captain.
“If Rohit Sharma had retired not on social media but on the field after playing, it would have been a more fitting send-off. It would’ve felt better for all of us, too," Tiwary said during a recent chat with Cricbuzz.
“Just look at his record as a Test captain, it’s very good. He’s won 12 Tests, lost 9, and drawn 3. So there’s no doubt about his success rate — it’s solid," he added.
Tiwary further highlighted how Rohit has become a favourite to many newcomers, who have often hailed his leadership qualities.
“He was a very popular leader among this group of boys. If you see, even the young players wanted to play under him. We always hear them say in their interviews, ‘I really enjoyed playing under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy,’" Tiwary remarked.
Rohit Sharma ended his Test career with 4,301 runs coming from 67 matches at an average of 40.57, including 12 centuries and 18 fifties. He led India in 24 Tests, winning 12 and losing nine games.
Having already stepped away from T20Is after leading India to a World Cup title last year, Rohit will now focus solely on leading the national side in ODIs.