Sanjay Manjrekar’s Blunt Take; Cites Rohit Sharma’s Poor Form as Reason Behind Test Retirement

May 9, 2025 0 22

Manjrekar on Rohit Sharma’s slump

Sanjay Manjrekar reacted to Rohit Sharma’s Test retirement by highlighting his recent poor form with the bat.

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar pointed to Rohit Sharma’s recent dip in form to explain why the veteran batter’s time as a Test opener had come to an end. His comments came a day after Rohit announced his retirement from Test cricket on Tuesday, May 7, through his social media.

The 38-year-old had a solid red-ball career since making his debut in 2013. Rohit played 67 Tests and scored 4,301 runs at an average of 40.57, including 12 centuries and 18 half-centuries. He also captained India in 24 matches after taking over the role from Virat Kohli in 2022, leading the team to 12 victories.

Reacting to Rohit’s retirement, Manjrekar wrote on X, “164 in his last 15 innings. Out of which 10 were at home v Bangladesh & NZ. Average 10.9. With his current fitness levels…Rohit Sharma’s days as Test opener were over. So…”

Rohit’s decline began after a strong home series against England early last year. Since then, his form plummeted, with just 164 runs in his last 15 innings and only one half-century. His poor performances were key in India’s recent Test series losses against New Zealand and Australia.

ALSO READ | “Indian Cricket Is Not Someone’s Property”: Gautam Gambhir Responds to Sunil Gavaskar’s Criticism

Despite stepping away from Tests, Rohit confirmed that he would continue to play One-Day Internationals for India. He had already retired from T20Is after leading the country to victory in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

In his retirement note, Rohit said (via Cricbuzz), “Hello everyone I would just like to share that I am retiring from Test cricket. It’s 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.”

Following the T20 World Cup win, Suryakumar Yadav took over as India’s T20I captain. It is yet to be seen who will take charge of the Test side after Rohit’s exit. Rohit will remain at the helm in the 50-over format.