Rohit Sharma made a sudden announcement about his retirement from Test cricket through Instagram on Wednesday afternoon, leaving fans and experts shocked. The decision came unexpectedly, especially since Rohit had earlier denied any thoughts of stepping away from Test cricket during India’s tour of Australia earlier this year. At that time, he appeared fully committed to continuing in the format. His departure marks the end of a significant chapter in Indian cricket, as he was one of the team’s senior-most players.

Under Rohit Sharma’s leadership, India recently lifted the Champions Trophy, showcasing his effectiveness as a captain. He has also been in excellent form in the ongoing IPL season, making his decision to retire from Tests even more surprising. Many assumed that he would continue leading India in the longest format for at least another year or two. There was no prior indication or statement from Rohit suggesting such a move, which caught fans and cricket analysts off guard.

Rohit chose not to have a farewell match or a press conference to announce his retirement, maintaining a quiet exit. He became India’s Test captain in 2022 after Virat Kohli stepped down from the role. Already the captain in white-ball formats, Rohit was seen as a natural successor. His tenure included key wins and leadership during a transitional phase for Indian cricket. His silent departure reflects his understated style, but his contributions to Indian Test cricket will be long remembered.

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Rohit Sharma: From White-Ball Star to Red-Ball Legend

Rohit Sharma started his career as a white-ball cricketer. But later, he proved himself in Test cricket too. Today, he holds many records as a captain, player, and opening batsman in red-ball cricket. He scored a century in his debut Test and has hit the second-most sixes among Indian batsmen in Tests.

Now, let’s look at Rohit Sharma’s success story in Test cricket:

1. 12 Centuries, 12 Wins

Rohit Sharma has scored 12 centuries in Test cricket, and India won all of those matches. No other player has such a record. The next best are Warwick Armstrong (6) and Darren Lehmann (5), but both have fewer centuries in wins.

2. Most Centuries as an Opener Since 2019

Rohit became a Test opener in October 2019. Since then, he has scored 9 centuries—more than any other opener. Only four players have scored more Test centuries overall during this time: Joe Root (20), Kane Williamson (13), Marnus Labuschagne (11), and Steve Smith (10).

3. Record in World Test Championship (WTC)

In all three World Test Championship (WTC) editions (2019–25), Rohit has scored the most runs for India (2716) and the most centuries (9). Only Yashasvi Jaiswal has a better batting average (52.88) than Rohit (41.15) in WTC matches.

4. Highest Indian Average Since 2019

Between the 2019-20 and 2023-24 seasons, Rohit averaged 50.03 in Tests. Among players with at least 25 innings, only 8 batsmen in the world averaged over 50. Rohit had the highest average among Indians, followed by Rishabh Pant (43.34).

5. One of the Best Century Converters

Rohit converted 9 of his 16 fifties into centuries as a Test opener—a conversion rate of 52.94%. Only Shikhar Dhawan (58.33%) and Dennis Ames (55%) have done better among openers with at least ten 50+ scores.

6. 10 Centuries in Home Tests

Rohit has scored 10 of his 12 Test centuries in India, all during India’s 18 home series wins. Only Virat Kohli (12) has scored more home centuries. Rohit’s average at home is 56.83—second only to Kohli (60.12).

7. Match Winner in Tests

Rohit has scored 4301 runs in 67 Tests at an average of 40.57, including 12 centuries and 18 fifties. His best score is 212. About 69.4% of his runs have come in matches India won—only Adam Gilchrist (77.77%) and Matthew Hayden (71.35%) have better win percentages with 3000+ Test runs.

8. King of Sixes

Rohit hit 13 sixes in a single Test match vs South Africa in 2019—a world record. He has hit 88 sixes in Test cricket, just behind Virender Sehwag (90) among Indians. Overall, Rohit is 9th in the world for most sixes in Tests.

9. Centuries in His First Two Innings

Rohit is one of just five batsmen to score centuries in their first two Test innings. He scored 177 at Eden Gardens on debut and followed it with 111 at Wankhede. Others on this list include Lawrence Rowe, Alvin Kallicharran, Sourav Ganguly, and Yasir Hameed.

10. Consistent Scorer in 30 Straight Innings

From Feb 2021 to July 2023, Rohit scored double-digit runs in 30 straight Test innings—a record. He scored 1401 runs in that period at an average of 50.04, facing 2645 balls (about 94.46 balls per innings).