'Rohit Sharma may retire if...': Krishnamachari Srikkanth
Former Indian cricket team captain, Krishnamachari Srikkanth, believes Rohit Sharma may retire if he fails to deliver in the impending five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia Down Under. Srikkanth's statement comes after the Indian skipper tanked in the recently-concluded New Zealand Test series at home. In a first, India were routed 3-0 by the Kiwis under the leadership of Rohit.
Rohit's retirement from T20Is and recent form
Earlier this year, Rohit had retired from the shortest format moments after leading India to their second ICC T20 World Cup title in June. However, his recent performance hasn't been the best. The 37-year-old cricketer admitted to his leadership lapses after India's 3-0 home Test series loss to New Zealand. Srikkanth revealed these details on his YouTube channel, adding if Rohit doesn't perform well in the upcoming series, he might retire from Test cricket as well.
Rohit averaged under 20 in NZ Test series
Despite having over 4,000 runs in Test cricket, Rohit's recent form has been a cause of concern. Rohit managed just 91 runs across six innings in the New Zealand Test series. He averaged a mere 15.16 with a solitary fifty-plus score. Barring a fluent 52 that came in the series opener in Bengaluru, Rohit looked out of sorts.
Rohit enters an unwanted list
Before the New Zealand series, Rohit featured in two Tests against Bangladesh. Although India whitewashed the visitors, Rohit scored 42 runs across four innings. Therefore, Rohit managed just 133 runs in 10 Test innings at home in 2024. His average of 13.30 is now the second-lowest as captain in a home season (Test cricket). Only England's Nasser Hussain is above Rohit (10.22 in 2000).
India's upcoming Test series in Australia
As mentioned, India will take on Australia in a five-Test series, starting November 22. The team has to win four out of five tests to qualify for the ICC World Test Championship final next year. However, Rohit's participation in the first match in Perth is still uncertain owing to personal reasons. This series will be a major decider of Rohit's future in Test cricket, Srikkanth hinted.
