Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir gave a heartfelt tribute to Rohit Sharma after the veteran batsman formally announced his retirement from Test cricket. Posting on social media site X, Gambhir described Rohit as "a master, a leader & a gem," encapsulating the cricketer's career in the longest version of the game.
Rohit, who made the announcement in an Instagram story, received admiration and nostalgia from the fans and former teammates as well. Gambhir, who shared a dressing room with Rohit during India's winning 2007 T20 World Cup campaign, admired Rohit's work as well as the hardships he had to face—most notably, being the first Indian captain to drop himself from a playing XI due to poor form.
At the ABP News' 'India At 2047' Summit, Gambhir was asked about the futures of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma on India's upcoming tour of England. Avoiding disrespect for personal choices, Gambhir was adamant about performance being the deciding factor:
"Till the time they are performing, they should be a part of the team. If you perform, then why 40? You can jolly well play till 45. Who's stopping you?"
He was equally unequivocal on his job:
"A coach's job isn't selecting the team. It is the job of selectors to choose. The coach chooses the playing XI. Neither the people who coached before me were selectors, nor am I."
Rohit's form in recent times had fallen badly—averaging a mere 10.93 runs in 11 innings in eight Tests in the 2024–25 season. But he completed with a fair 4,301 runs from 67 Tests at 40.57 and 12 centuries. As captain in Tests, he had achieved 12 wins, 9 losses, and 3 draws. But his tenure ended on a bitter note as India went through the horror of a home 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand before they were beaten 4-1 in Australia to lose a seat in the final of the 2025 World Test Championship.
Even though leaving Test cricket behind, Rohit confirmed that he would continue playing ODIs for India and claimed:
"It's been an absolute honour to represent my country in whites. Thank you for all the love and support over the years."
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