Shastri Says Rohit's Retirement Won't Be Surprising: ''He's Not Getting Younger, Others Are Waiting''

People have been talking a lot about Rohit Sharma and his future in Test cricket. As the captain of the Indian team, Rohit has been struggling with his batting form, scoring less than ten runs in four out of the five innings in the ongoing Border-Gavasakar Trophy in Australia. Adding to the criticism, his decisions as captain have raised eyebrows, especially with India needing a win in the final Test in Sydney to retain the trophy. Currently, the team is trailing 1-2 in the series.

Ravi Shastri, who was the former coach of the Indian cricket team, really shared his thoughts on what is coming up for Rohit. With Rohit only scoring 31 runs in five innings, which is extremely low for an average, of just 6.2, people started wondering even more if he was going to stop playing. This assumption was further excited after the head coach Gautam Gambhir, gave a press conference on Thursday and didn't say definitively whether Rohit would be playing in the fifth test.

Most Single-Digit Scores in a Test Season 2024-25

Player	Innings	Single Digit Scores	Season
RG Sharma (IND)	15	10	2024/25
V Kohli (IND)	17	9	2024/25

Shastri said Rohit's career could end early if his difficulties keep up. Before that, Rohit couldn't play in the first Test in Perth but India still won without him. Things are very uncertain.

"He'll decide on his career, but I wouldn't be surprised if he retires. He's not getting younger," Shastri told ICC.

Shastri thinks Rohit Sharma should simply play without being afraid because everyone is watching his poor performance closely. Ravi Shastri is famous for saying what he really thinks and he's saying Rohit should stay calm and not worry a lot.

"There are younger players like Shubman Gill waiting in the wings. Gill averages over 40 this year, and he's been sitting on the bench. It makes you wonder why he isn't playing. But in the end, it's Rohit's call."

"If India qualifies for the World Test Championship final, then it might be different. But if not, this could be the right time. If Rohit continues, he should go out in style."

Shastri, that former coach from India who's fond of aggressive cricket, simply said to Rohit to stop and start more freely. He thinks Rohit being too careful isn't doing any good. Especially if Rohit's thinking about retiring, Shastri's like, just try and end things on a high note.

"If I were around Rohit, I'd tell him, 'Just go out there and smash it. Have a blast,'" Shastri said. "Right now, the way he's playing doesn't look good. He should take the attack to the opposition and see what happens," Shastri added.

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