Rohit Sharma brought the curtains down on his Test career on Wednesday, 7 May. He played 67 Tests for India and scored 4,301 runs at an average of 40.58. The Mumbai batter captained India in 24 Test matches, winning 12, losing nine, and drawing three. Under his leadership, India reached the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) in 2023.
Former India captain Kapil Dev praised Rohit’s batting and leadership skills during a recent interview. The Haryana Hurricane congratulated the 38-year-old on his stellar career and said that very few cricketers played the game like he did.
“He did a wonderful job, played good cricket. Over a period of time, the way he conducted himself, the way he captained and, most importantly, the way he played his cricket, because in India, very few have played cricket like this. I congratulate him on a wonderful career,” Dev was quoted as saying by India Today.
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Some things should be left to selectors: Kapil Dev
Rohit Sharma‘s announcement to retire from the longest format comes just a few weeks before the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) selection committee meeting to pick the squad for the five-match Test series in England, beginning on 20 June. This will mark the start of a new WTC cycle.
While Rohit won’t be part of this assignment, he will continue leading India in the ODI format. His childhood coach, Dinesh Lad, recently said in an interview that the opening batter hopes to lead India to glory in the 2027 ODI World Cup.
While Dev appreciated Rohit’s willingness to play and win the World Cup, he believes that the selectors should take the final call regarding his place in the side.
“Everybody wants to play cricket—Sachin, Gavaskar, everyone wanted to play. But again, this also depends on the selectors. It’s good he wants to play. Everyone wants to play the World Cup and win, but some things should be left to the selectors,” Dev added.
