Wed May 07 14:26:19 UTC 2025: ## Rohit Sharma Retires from Test Cricket Amidst Captaincy Change

**London, UK** – Indian cricket star Rohit Sharma has announced his retirement from Test cricket, effective immediately. The decision comes as a surprise, but follows reports that he was to be removed as Test captain ahead of India’s upcoming five-match series against England, starting June 20th. This series marks the beginning of the new World Test Championship cycle (2025-27).

While Rohit will continue to captain the ODI team, his recent poor batting performance in Test matches is cited as a key factor in the selectors’ decision. The selectors, however, reportedly denied that the captaincy change was part of a broader plan to remove older players from the team. Shubman Gill is considered a strong contender to replace Rohit as Test captain.

The retirement announcement also triggers speculation about other squad changes. Former chief selector MSK Prasad advocates for the inclusion of Arshdeep Singh, Sai Sudharsan, and Kuldeep Yadav in the Test squad. Prasad also suggests Prasidh Krishna over Akash Deep as a pace bowler and highlights Washington Sundar as a valuable spin-bowling all-rounder alongside Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep. He leaves the decision of whether Rohit should remain in the squad to the current selection panel, headed by Ajit Agarkar. Prasad is however confident that Sai Sudharsan, currently excelling in the IPL and with county cricket experience, should be included in the team, potentially as a backup opener.

The expected batting order for the England series includes Shubman Gill at number three and Virat Kohli at number four, with KL Rahul in the middle order and Rishabh Pant as the wicket-keeper batter, according to Prasad. The final squad is expected to be announced mid-May.

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