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In this collection of pictures we shall know about India captain Rohit Sharma's big decision. Let's dive in.
According to The Indian Express, the BCCI's senior selection panel, headed by Ajit Agarkar, has opted to remove Rohit Sharma from the role of India's Test captain ahead of the forthcoming England series.
Rohit Sharma is expected to retain his position as India's ODI skipper and could still be included in the England tour squad purely as a specialist batter. However, the selectors remained firm in their stance against continuing with him as Test captain due to his recent struggles in the longer format. Under his leadership, India suffered defeats in five of their last six Tests — at home against New Zealand and on the road in Australia. Battling a prolonged slump in red-ball cricket, Rohit opted to exclude himself from the playing XI for the final Test in Sydney.
As per the report, the selection panel has already communicated its decision to the BCCI, and senior officials within the board have chosen to support it. A series of discussions were conducted by the selectors, with the most recent meeting taking place in Mumbai to outline a future strategy for the Test team. This decision follows Rohit Sharma's own remarks during a podcast with ex-Australia skipper Michael Clarke, where he had voiced his interest in captaining India on the England tour.
"The selectors' thought process is clear. They want a new leader for the England tour and Rohit doesn’t fit in as a captain, especially considering his red-ball form. They want to groom a young leader for the next Test cycle and the selection committee has informed the BCCI that Rohit won't lead the team," a source told The Indian Express.
It's not surprising that the selectors are hesitant about reinstating Rohit as the Test skipper, considering his recent poor run in red-ball cricket. His disappointing performance in the recent Border-Gavaskar series in Australia, where he averaged just 6.20 over five innings, came after another underwhelming showing against New Zealand at home, where he managed only 15.16 across three Tests. The challenge of having a captain struggling with the bat complicates matters. Unlike a regular batter who can be dropped based on form, handling a captain's decline is far more sensitive. Insiders believe this issue had a negative effect on team morale during the Australian tour. In addition, recent results under different leaders also weigh into the selection process. Although India claimed victory in the opening Test under Jasprit Bumrah's leadership, they eventually surrendered the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Earlier, the home series against New Zealand ended in a 0–3 whitewash under Rohit's captaincy.
"Hello everyone, I would just like to share, I am retiring from Test cricket. It's been an absolute honour to represent my country in whites. Thank you for all love and support over the years. I will continue to represent India in ODI format," Rohit wrote.
