Rohit Sharma hits back at his critics, says ‘there were a lot of things said about me…’
New Delhi: Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma has retired from Test cricket. He will, however, continue to lead the Indian ODI team, a role in which he recently led them to victory in their third Champions Trophy.
Rohit Sharma retired from Test cricket on Wednesday, May 7, via a social media post. This announcement preceded the selection of India’s Test squad for the upcoming England series, which also initiates the new World Test Championship cycle.
Following his Test cricket retirement, Rohit Sharma addressed criticism of his batting performance. He acknowledged that while criticism is inherent to an athlete’s career, some of the commentary he’s faced has been unwarranted.
“Criticism is a part of a sportsperson’s life. Criticism is necessary and important. But what I’m against is unnecessary criticism. I don’t like it. There were a lot of things said about me. But I don’t pay attention to any of it, and it doesn’t affect me,” Rohit said in his two-hour-long interview on YouTube.
“So many things have been said about me – like I can’t play left-arm fast bowlers, and many other things – but now, I don’t pay attention to it anymore. If you go and defend everything, you will waste a lot of time. And time is precious. My work is to attack,” he added.
India’s recent Test performances under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy have been underwhelming. Two consecutive series losses eliminated India from contention for the World Test Championship final. Furthermore, a home series defeat to New Zealand last year marked India’s first such loss since 2013. Sharma’s tenure as Test captain concluded with these setbacks.
Rohit Sharma’s poor batting form forced his withdrawal from the final Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test against Australia, exacerbating an already difficult situation. Following India’s 3-1 series loss, speculation arose regarding potential changes to the team for the next World Test Championship cycle, with the BCCI possibly considering younger players over some senior members, including Rohit.
Rohit Sharma’s retirement from Test cricket wasn’t unexpected, given India’s recent poor performance and his own inconsistent batting form. While his IPL 2025 Impact Player role for Mumbai Indians initially saw underwhelming results, his batting improved as the season progressed.
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