Big Blow for India? Rohit Sharma Likely to Miss England Tour, Virat Kohli Set to Retain His Place

Rohit Sharma is unlikely to be part of India’s Test series against England later this year. Following a disappointing performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the Indian captain has allegedly opted out of the forthcoming series, according to India Today. The Test team is likely to see Virat Kohli continue as part of it. Both Rohit and Kohli had a bad time during the tour of Australia with Rohit opting out of the New Year's Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Rohit Sharma missed the first Test at Perth Stadium when Jasprit Bumrah led India. However, since returning for the Day-Night Test at Adelaide Oval, he has struggled to score runs in the format. In three matches, he managed just 31 runs at a low average of 6.20. Speculation about his retirement grew after he opted out of the Sydney Test, but Rohit clarified that he has no intention of leaving Test cricket.

"This is not a decision of retirement. I am not moving away from this game. But I took a decision to step away from this game because I was not able to score runs with the bat. There is no guarantee that I will score runs 2 months or 5 months from now,” Rohit Sharma dismissed retirement speculations, clarifying his stance in an interview with Star Sports.

“I have seen a lot of cricket, every minute, every second and everyday life changes. I believe that things will change, but at the same time, I have to be realistic as well. People sitting in the commentary box, or writing with a laptop in their hands, will not decide how my life goes," Rohit added.

 Redemption in the Champions Trophy

Virat Kohli struggled to make a significant impact outside of his century in the second innings of the Perth Test. Meanwhile, both Rohit Sharma and Virat made their comebacks in the Ranji Trophy but failed to produce substantial scores. However, after playing key roles in India’s Champions Trophy triumph in Dubai, the two reconciled.

Virat impressed with unbeaten knocks of 100 and 84 against Australia and Pakistan, respectively, while Rohit sealed the final with a match-winning 76. India's Test series against England will begin on June 20 at Headingley in Leeds, with the remaining four matches set to take place at Edgbaston, Lord’s, Old Trafford, and The Oval.

Full Schedule of India's Tour of England 2025