Rohit Sharma

On May 8, 2025, Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Tests through an Instagram story. At 38, and after a poor tour of Australia (31 from five innings) during which he dropped himself from the final Test in Sydney, the writing seemed on the wall. Sharma played 67 Tests scoring 4,301 runs at an average of 40.6 with 12 hundred and 18 half-centuries. His highest score in Tests was 212.

Virat Kohli

On May 12, 2025, Virat Kohli followed suit to bring an end to a decorated Test career. After scoring a hundred in Perth in the first Test versus Australia, Kohli endured a torrid time. He eventually finished on 123 Tests, scoring 9,230 runs with an average of 46.9. He made 30 hundreds and 31 half-centuries, with the unbeaten 254 his highest. With 40 wins, he is statistically India’s best captain.

Sergio Busquets

On December 7, 2025, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba played the final matches of their professional careers in Inter Miami’s 3-1 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps at the Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Busquets was one of the best defensive midfielders of his generation, and formed that famed trio at Barcelona with Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez behind the leader in Lionel Messi.

Chesteshwar Pujara

On August 24, 2025, Cheteshwar Pujara, one of the foremost Test specialists in the 21st century, retired from all forms of cricket. As No. 3, he held the Indian batting line-up together and played stellar roles in India’s twin triumphs in Australia, in 2018-19 and 2020-21. From 103 Tests, he made 7,195 runs with 19 centuries and 35 fifties.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

Champion Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce retired from competitive sport in October. Gold medallist in women’s 100m at 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics, Fraser-Pryce finished her career with eight Olympic medals and 17 World Championship medals.

Petra Kvitova

On August 25, 2025, two-time Wimbledon women’s singles winner Petra Kvitova retired after the U.S. Open. The star from Czechia triumphed at the All England club in 2011 and 2014, reached as high as No. 2 in the world and was part of her nation’s golden generation that won the Fed Cup (now Billie Jean King Cup) six times from 2011 to 2018. In late 2016, Kvitova even survived a knife attack and reached the final of the Australian Open in 2019.

Eliud Kipchoge

Eliud Kipchoge, the double Olympic marathon champion (2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo), retired after the New York Marathon in November. The Kenyan won 16 of the 23 competitive marathons he ran, with 11 coming at the marathon majors, making him the most decorated athlete, male or female. Kipchoge held the men’s marathon world record twice, and was even part of Nike’s Breaking2 project in 2017, the audacious attempt to break the two-hour barrier.

Rohan Bopanna

On November 1, 2025, India’s doubles star Rohan Bopanna rested his racquet at the end of the 2025 tennis season. At the 2024 Australian Open which he won alongside Matthew Ebden, Bopanna, at 43, became the oldest man to occupy the World No. 1 position and also the oldest men’s Slam winner. He finished his career with two Majors, having won the 2017 French Open mixed doubles crown with Gabriela Dabrowski. He is only one of four Indians to have won Majors, with Mahesh Bhupathi, Leander Paes and Sania Mirza the others.

Nicholas Pooran

Nicholas Pooran, West Indies’ Twenty20 record-holder for runs and appearances, retired from international cricket on June 10, 2025. Pooran, 29, made the announcement on Instagram. “Wearing that maroon, standing for the anthem, and giving everything I had each time I stepped on the field… it’s hard to put into words what that truly means to me,” he wrote. “To have led the team as captain is a privilege I will always hold close to my heart.”

Published – January 01, 2026 09:50 am IST

Senior India batter Rohit Sharma on Saturday (January 4, 2025) firmly dismissed his retirement rumours, saying he is “not going anywhere” and offered poor form as the reason for him “standing down” from the ongoing Sydney Test against Australia.

Grappling with modest form, Rohit “opted to rest” from the Sydney Test, handing over the leadership duties to Jasprit Bumrah, sparking widespread speculations about his future.

“I have not retired. I stood down, that is what I would say. Basically the chat that I had with the coach and the selector was very simple. I am not able to score runs, there is no form, it is an important match and we need a player with form,” Rohit told Star Sports.

“As it is, in our batting, the form of the boys is not that good. So you cannot carry a lot of out of form players in the team. This simple thing was going on in my mind. I am not going anywhere,” he added.

The 37-year-old said the team management and selectors backed his decision.

“I wanted to tell the coach and the selector that this is what is going on in my mind. They backed my decision. They said that you have been playing for so many years. You know what you are doing.

“So for me, it was difficult to take this decision. But if everything is kept in front, then this decision was sensible. I will not think much further,” he added.

In Rohit’s absence, Shubman Gill was included in the India eleven for the crucial fifth match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as India is trailing 1-2.

The Mumbaikar endured a tough time in Test cricket in 2024, accumulating just 619 runs in 26 innings across 14 matches averaging 24.76.

Before standing down, he had scored just 31 runs across five innings in three Tests in this series after joining the team following the Perth Test.

Rohit’s bold call triggered speculations that he might pull the plug on his Test career after this series.

“This is not a retirement decision. I am not going to leave the game. There is no such decision. But I am out of this game because the bat is not working.

“But there is no guarantee that the bat will not work after 5 months. There is no guarantee that the bat will not work after two months or six months down the line,” Rohit said.

He hoped for a turnaround in his fortunes sooner than later.

“We have seen a lot in cricket. Every minute, every second, every day life changes. So, I have a belief that things will change.

“But, at the same time, I have to be realistic as well. So, if a person has a mic inside, or a laptop, or a pen, what he writes, what he says, it does not change our life. We have played this game for so many years.

“So, these people cannot decide when we should go or when we should not play. I am a sensible man. I am a mature man. I am the father of two children. So, I have a little brain to decide what I want in life,” he noted.

Asked if he took this decision after the Melbourne Test defeat, Rohit said: “No, I took this decision after coming to Sydney. Because after the match, we had only two days in between. And one day was New Year’s eve. So on New Year’s, I did not want to tell this to the coach and the selector.

“But it was running in my mind that I am trying and trying. But it is not happening. So I have to accept that it is not happening. And it was important for me to step aside.

“Whenever I am captaining, I don’t believe in what is going to happen after 5 months or 6 months. What do you want in the immediate future, it is important to focus on this thing.

“Our entire focus was on these 5 matches. We had to retain the trophy, we had to win. So, when we take such decisions, we do it keeping the team in front of us,” he added.

Rohit also heaped praise on Bumrah saying he has been impressed by the latter’s leadership qualities.

“The way he (Bumrah) sets standards with the ball, he is absolute class. When I saw him for the first time in 2013, his graph has gone really high ever since and has gone from strength to strength,” he said.

Rohit Sharma. File.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Finally there was closure to the question around Rohit Sharma. The ‘will he play or won’t he play’ question was emphatically answered when Jasprit Bumrah strode out to the toss ahead of the fifth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday (January 3, 2025). As if to drive home the point, the BCCI’s note on the playing eleven and the entire squad did not have Rohit’s name.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, Bumrah said: “Our captain has shown leadership by opting to rest in this game. That shows there is a lot of unity in this team.” Until Bumrah spoke, there was no official word on the manner of Rohit’s exit and the entire issue reveals a shocking lack of grace and transparency.

While speaking to the media on Thursday, coach Gautam Gambhir evaded a direct reply to the question around Rohit’s spot in the playing eleven. It set the field ripe for speculations and conspiracy theories. Entirely needless ahead of a vital clash of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.

Having made a smashing Test debut against the West Indies at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens in 2013 with a sparkling 177, Rohit played 67 Tests, scored 4301 runs with an average of 40.57 and with 12 hundreds to boot. His last innings was at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on December 30, last year. The then Indian captain scored nine from 40 deliveries and succumbed to his rival counterpart Pat Cummins.

Always a bigger player in the blue shade, perhaps Rohit will get one last tango in limited overs cricket in the ICC Champions Trophy at Pakistan and Dubai from February 19 to March 9. India will play all its games in the United Arab Emirates. And that might well be Rohit’s final act in international cricket.

India’s Rohit Sharma (L) chats with a teammate Jasprit Bumrah during a practice session ahead of the fifth cricket Test match between Australia and India at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney on January 2, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AFP

A new year with its tidings of hope is the overwhelming theme whenever January chimes in. It is no different this time around, especially for India, as it faces the challenge of altering the script in the current Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.

Trailing 1-2, the fifth and final Test commencing at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Friday (January 3, 2024), presents India with an opportunity for redemption. Winning at Perth, losing in Adelaide, a weather-assisted draw in Brisbane, and a loss in Melbourne, have constituted the report card of Rohit Sharma’s men.

At the SCG with its history weaved around runs and spin, any Asian team should feel optimistic. India is no different though its performance here over the decades reads as one win, seven draws and five losses.

This is the ground in which Ravi Shastri scored a 206 in 1992, a Test in which Shane Warne made his debut. This is the same turf where Sachin Tendulkar posted a 241 in 2004, a knock in which he cut out the cover-drive, a shot that had become his tragic-flaw. Perhaps the last bit offers a lesson to Virat Kohli, who has been fishing outside the off-stump.

India will miss Akash Deep as the speedster is dealing with a back injury. However, the bigger worry is about Rohit. As a captain, his name would be the first one pencilled into the playing eleven. But with coach Gautam Gambhir not being explicit about whether the out-of-form skipper will find a berth, that old Indian cricket imagery of smoke and daggers is in vogue.

It is the last thing anyone needs ahead of a vital face-off. If India does manage to defeat Australia and draw level at 2-2, by virtue of being the defending champion, the visitors would retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

It is imperative that the batters collectively fire. K.L. Rahul’s runs, Nitish Kumar’s consistency, Yashasvi Jaiswal’s promise and the lower-order’s fire-fighting have often rescued India. The others have to contribute too and Shubman Gill, benched at Melbourne, could get a look-in.

On the bowling front, Jasprit Bumrah, who might lead if Rohit is dropped, has been exceptional. It remains to be seen if the think-tank would prefer Prasidh Krishna as the third seamer and stick with Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar as the two spinners.

Across the dividing line, Australia made one change with Beau Webster replacing Mitchell Marsh. If this is a full-stop for the latter, it could be a mirror reflection of the fate that affected his father Geoff Marsh. The former opener watched his Test career grind to a halt following a lukewarm show against the visiting Indians in the 1991-92 series.

For Pat Cummins, most of his batters have slowly gained form even if they look vulnerable against Bumrah. The Australian skipper and speedster has led from the front and it is one essential trick that Rohit missed in this series. If he does effect a turnaround, sport’s latest miracle would be upon us. For now, it looks remote.

The teams (from)

India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Jasprit Bumrah (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, K.L. Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dhruv Jurel (wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sarfaraz Khan, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna and Tanush Kotian.

Australia: Pat Cummins (captain), Travis Head (vice-captain), Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey (wicket-keeper), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland, Sean Abbott, Jhye Richardson and Beau Webster.

Match officials: Umpires: Michael Gough and Sharfuddoula; Third umpire: Joel Wilson; Match referee: Andy Pycroft.

Match starts at 5 a.m. IST.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

Speculation that India captain Rohit Sharma and batting stalwart Virat Kohli are set to call time on their test careers has snowballed as the veteran pair continue to struggle in the five-test series in Australia.

India, who won their last two test tours in Australia, went 2-1 down in the series after their stunning defeat in Melbourne on Monday (December 30, 2024), with the hosts needing only a draw in Sydney to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT).

Opener Rohit has just one fifty and 10 single-digit scores in his last 15 test innings, and even a move down the order failed to pay dividends for the 37-year-old.

Also Read | How India can reach WTC Final: Win at SCG and hope for Sri Lankan series victory or draw against Australia

Under his captaincy, India have lost five tests this season, equalling their unwanted record from 1999-2000 under Sachin Tendulkar.

Kohli, one of the greats of the modern game, has not fared much better.

The 36-year-old struck a century in the opening test in Perth but had a wretched season overall with nine single-digit scores in 17 innings this test season.

Both New Zealand and Australia have exploited his vulnerability to left-arm spin and outside the off-stump line, rendering him a walking wicket at times.

“Is it time to take a call on seniors Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli?” the Hindustan Times newspaper asked on its front page after the defeat in Melbourne, where India lost seven wickets after tea on day five.

That sentiment was echoed among fans in the cricket-mad country where Rohit and Kohli are practically worshipped, with the term “happy retirement” trending on Monday.

Both players quit Twenty20 Internationals immediately after guiding India to their second 20-overs World Cup title in June.

“Is the Rohit-Kohli retirement announcement round the corner?” asked the Indian Express.

“The curtain is beginning to slide down from above; will they give themselves one more test at Sydney with BGT still open and out there for the taking or …?”

The Times of India called for an immediate changing of the guard, saying the senior batters were “in danger of being termed as liabilities”.

The Melbourne defeat not only dented India’s chances of retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but it effectively ended their hopes of reaching the World Test Championship final for the third time in a row.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar said another failure in Sydney could prompt Rohit to quit test cricket and that India should draft in new faces for their England tour next year.

“The next cycle of the World Test Championship will be the cycle for 2027. You should see new faces for that,” Gavaskar told Sports Tak.

Rohit Sharma flashes the ICC T20 World Cup trophy to a huge crowd of fans during the victory parade, in Mumbai.
| Photo Credit: ANI

India captain Rohit Sharma says he will continue to play Test and ODI cricket “at least for a while” after ending his T20 international career with a World Cup win last month.

Rohit has been on a break since the title win in the West Indies and is set to miss the limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka later this month, which includes three ODIs.

“I just said it. I don’t look that far ahead. So clearly, you will be seeing me play at least for a while,” the 37-year-old said at an event in Dallas on July 15 night.

His statement was reiteration of a position he made clear after announcing his T20 retirement after the final in the West Indies in which India defeated South Africa by seven runs.

Earlier this month, BCCI secretary Jay Shah had confirmed that Rohit will captain India in the ongoing World Test Championship cycle and the Champions Trophy next year in February-March.

Rohit had led India in the 2022 T20 World Cup where the team was ousted in the semifinals by eventual champions England.

A year later, India reached the final of the 50-over World Cup at home under his leadership, but succumbed to Australia in the summit clash at Ahmedabad.

Rohit left T20Is with 4231 runs from 159 matches, having made five hundreds and 32 fifties.