Rohit Sharma Test retirement: From sixes to series wins; here's look at Hitman's Captaincy era

Rohit Sharma bid farewell to Test cricket by announcing his retirement on Wednesday (May 7), marking the end of a prominent chapter. His final appearance was in India's fourth Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, which the team lost 1-3.

The Hitman has retired with impressive numbers. He has scored 4301 runs on the 67 Tests played. He has smashed 12 centuries and 18 half-centuries and has registered the highest score of 212.

Let’s reflect on his captaincy era, filled with towering sixes, memorable series wins, and undeniable grit.

Rohit Sharma's retirement

Rohit took to social media to announce his retirement. He posted a picture of his Test cap and penned down a heartfelt message.

"I would like to share that I am retiring from Test cricket. It has been an absolute honour to represent my country in whites. Thank you for all the love and support over the years. I will continue to represent India in the ODI format,” the message read.

Rohit’s decision to retire comes after he missed the cut from the fifth Test of the series, and questions were raised about his inclusion in the upcoming Tests.

Rohit Sharma's captaincy in Tests

Rohit took over the reins of India’s Test team after Virat Kohli stepped down as captain. His leadership journey began with a 2-0 clean sweep against Sri Lanka at home, setting a confident tone.

India under the leadership of Rohit Sharma in the Tests

Matches played: 24

Wins by Team India: 12

Losses by Team India: 9

Draws: 3

Under his leadership, India reached the World Test Championship (WTC) final in 2021/23, though they fell short against Australia. Despite recent setbacks, Rohit’s leadership brought moments of brilliance, defining his era.

Here's a look at the series and their results that Rohit led:

Defeated Sri Lanka 2-0 (home)

Triumphed over Bangladesh 2-0 (away)

Won Australia 2-1 (home)

Lost to Australia in the WTC Final

Beat West Indies 1-0 (away)

Drew with South Africa 1-1 (away)

Dominated England 4-1 (home)

Won against Bangladesh 2-0 (home)

Lost to New Zealand 0-3 (home)

Lost to Australia 1-3 (away), Notably Rohit didn't captain the first Test match

Batting Legacy: The Hitman’s Numbers

Rohit’s Test career included fours and sixes and records broken with his explosive performances.

Rohit Sharma's stats in Tests (as a Captain):

Matches played: 24

Runs scored: 1254

Average: 30.58

Highest Score: 131

100s: 4

50s: 4

4s/6s: 149/25

Rohit Sharma's stats in Tests (not as a Captain):

Matches played: 43

Runs scored: 3047

Average: 46.87

Highest Score: 212

50s: 14

100s: 8

4s/6s: 324/63