After the T20 World Cup triumph last year, Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from the shortest format for India. His red-ball future became a topic of debate after he stepped aside from the fifth Test against Australia at SCG in January 2025 due to poor form.

Speculations were rife that his international career won’t go beyond the Champions Trophy 2025. However, the scenario changed after India clinched the coveted ICC title, with Rohit earning the Player-of-the-Match award in the final for his 76-run knock against New Zealand.

Now, it is being reported that Rohit is the front-runner to lead India in the upcoming England tour despite his lean run in Test cricket last season.

In a latest interview, Rohit Sharma spoke about the England series and his Test career as a batter.

“I haven’t thought much about the England tour yet. IPL is going on now. We want to win the IPL. My thoughts are all about this. I have said before also, focus on what’s going on now. I believe in that,” Rohit said in a chat on journalist Vimal Kumar’s YouTube channel.

Rohit averages 40.57 from 67 Tests, and it drops to 31.01 outside India. While averages 24.38 in Australia and 16.63 in South Africa but the average rises to 44.66 in England.

When he was asked whether he is satisfied with his overall performances in the longest format, Rohit replied: “As long as you play a sport, you will never be happy with the performances! I am happy with what god has given me rather than think about why I didn’t do this, that. It’s all written in the destiny – you will get this amount. Whatever I do, I am going to get only this. I don’t want to be hyper self critical with Test cricket; I am happy with what I have done.”

“You don’t have to live to keep other people’s expectations; it’s about what you want. What the world thinks expects doesn’t matter as they are not part of my journey. No one knows how I have dealt with training, handled ups and downs in my life, no one apart from your close ins don’t know about.I don’t keep unreal expectations, it’s simple and it’s my expectations.”

Under his captaincy, India have won the T20 world cup and Champions Trophy in last 10 months while they also reached the final of the ODI World Cup in 2023.

On the other hand, Rohit was at the helm of affairs when India suffered a humiliating 0-3 whitewash in a home Test series against New Zealand last year, followed by the BGT 2024/25 debacle Down Under.

Asked if the captaincy pressures and recent criticism has affected his personality, Rohit said: “I have understood the system: when you do well, the reaction is too much and same when you don’t do well. Too much on both times. What can I do about this? Just go with it. If you don’t do well., get ready for criticism. I am not saying one shouldn’t criticise but you have to be mindful of criticism. Just that it shouldn’t be personal and should not have any agenda. One who is sensible knows how to criticise.”