Rohit Sharma’s Test retirement before England tour a selfless call: MSK Prasad-OxBig News Network

Former chief selector MSK Prasad has praised Rohit Sharma’s decision to retire from Test cricket, calling it a selfless move that prioritises the team’s future. Prasad explained that the timing of Rohit’s retirement decision made perfect sense, especially with the selectors set to pick the squad for the upcoming Test series in England, starting June 20.

Rohit announced his retirement from Test cricket on Wednesday, May 7, via an Instagram story. The announcement, which came midway through the IPL 2025 season, took many by surprise.

“Probably, see, I think in the next few days the selectors might be picking the team for the Test series, so that’s the reason. That’s why he would have taken the call,” Prasad told IndiaToday.in.

“The second thing is, since the two-year cycle is going to start from this series, he’s probably keeping that in mind as well. Though he would have wanted to play this series-he’s got a decent record in England-his heart would have been set on playing one more series before making a final decision,” he added.

“But I think it’s a wonderful gesture on his part that he put the team’s interests ahead of his individual aspirations, because the squad picked now will likely stay in and around for the next two years.”

Rohit was also praised by a section of the cricket community for dropping himself from the final Test of the 2025 series in Sydney. While acknowledging his poor form, Rohit made it clear that the decision was not an indication of his retirement.

“Now, once again, being the selfless captain that he is, he has put the team’s interests ahead. I think that’s great,” Prasad remarked.

THE 2019 MASTERSTROKE

Rohit’s journey in Test cricket wasn’t always smooth. Despite his immense success in white-ball cricket, he struggled to find a place in the Test side. It was only in 2019 that his career took a dramatic turn. He was promoted to open the innings, a decision Prasad himself was involved in during his tenure as chairman of selectors.

“The decision we had was that, after scoring five centuries in the World Cup, we thought someone who could get runs in England and score so consistently-why not?” Prasad recalled. “That was a time when we were also having a bit of a problem with the openers. You know, Mayank Agarwal had just started coming in, they were too young, and Murali Vijay had faded out. So, there was a little transition happening.”

“And since Rohit was in fantastic form, we thought, why not give him an opportunity as an opener? That’s what the management and all of us discussed, and we gave him that option to play as an opener. He accepted it with both hands, and he scored 600 runs in his first series against South Africa. I think that was the revival of his Test career post the 2019 World Cup, and he has done justice to that.”

Rohit’s retirement comes at a time when his Test form had hit a rough patch. After a bright start as captain, his position came under scrutiny following a 0-3 series whitewash against New Zealand at home and a 1-3 defeat in Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

His personal form also dipped-he managed just 164 runs in eight Tests during the 2024-25 season, including a mere 36 runs across three matches against Australia. The selectors, facing the challenge of starting a new World Test Championship cycle, had to weigh the risk of carrying a 38-year-old opener whose performances were no longer matching his past standards.

Rohit, who previously shone in England during the 2021 tour, had expressed his desire to have one final go in English conditions. However, his decision to step aside before the tour allows the selectors to pick a new leader, with Jasprit Bumrah, Shubman Gill, and Rishabh Pant all in contention.

CAN ROHIT PLAY UNTIL 2027 ODI WORLD CUP?

While his Test chapter has now closed, Rohit’s focus shifts firmly to ODIs. In his retirement note, he made it clear that he would continue to play in the 50-over format.

Prasad believes Rohit still has unfinished business, particularly with one major trophy missing from his cabinet.

“I don’t know about that, but his heart is still in cricket. We know what he can do in cricket-what he did in the 2023 World Cup, what he did in the Champions Trophy,” Prasad said. “So, I’m not sure whether he’ll last that long, but this is a format very close to his heart. Probably that’s the reason why he still wants to play.”

Rohit ended his Test career with 4,301 runs, including 11 hundreds. In 67 Tests, he led in 25, winning 12 and losing nine.