After Rohit Sharma announced he’s retiring from Test cricket, many from the cricket community shared their thoughts, including former Indian player and 1983 World Cup winner, Madan Lal. He praised Rohit for his unique batting style and leadership skills, saying, I haven’t seen a batsman like Rohit Sharma. He has entertained us a lot. No one can play cut, hook, and pull shots like him. He also acknowledged that retiring from Test cricket is tough, especially for someone of Rohit’s talent. The decision to retire is very personal. It is sometimes difficult to take such a decision, he added.

Lal also mentioned Rohit’s tactical skills and how he has led the Indian team well, noting, Rohit Sharma has been the captain of the Indian team, and he has taken some very good decisions… He has contributed a lot to India’s victory.

Rohit Sharma formally shared his retirement news on Instagram, expressing his thanks to fans and looking back on his time in Test cricket. Making his Test debut in November 2013 against the West Indies, he played 67 Tests and scored 4,301 runs at an average of 40.57, with 12 centuries and 18 fifties. His top score of 212 came in a notable home series against South Africa in 2019, leaving him as India’s 16th-highest run-scorer in Tests.

His Test journey started with a memorable 177 against the West Indies in Kolkata in 2013. Despite showing promise, Rohit initially struggled to establish himself overseas, particularly in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia). From 2013 to 2018, he played only 27 Tests, scoring 1,585 runs with an average of 39.63, including three centuries and 10 fifties.

At home, Rohit shone brightly, scoring 2,535 runs in 34 Tests at an average of 51.73, with 10 centuries, but his struggles were clear when playing abroad, where he netted 1,644 runs in 31 Tests at an average of 31.01 and managed just two centuries. His best performance overseas came in the 2021-22 Pataudi Trophy in England, where he was the top run-scorer for India, amassing 368 runs in four Tests at an average of 52.57, including a memorable 127.