India captain Rohit Sharma retires from test cricket ahead of England tour

MUMBAI, India (AP) — India captain Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from test cricket Wednesday ahead of the squad’s upcoming tour of England.

The 38-year-old Sharma added that he will continue representing India in one-day internationals.

“It’s been an absolute honor to represent my country in whites,” he wrote on Instagram. “Thank you for all the love and support over the years.”

Sharma struggled during the 2024-25 season, averaging just 10.93 runs in 11 innings over eight tests.

Overall, he scored 4,301 runs in 67 tests, an average of 40.57, with 12 centuries for the national team.

Sharma replaced Virat Kohli as captain in March 2022 and guided India to 12 wins, nine losses and three draws, while scoring 1,254 runs during that time.

It was a captaincy that ended with back-to-back series losses — a record 3-0 home defeat to New Zealand and a 4-1 loss to Australia that knocked India out of the 2025 World Test Championship.

“Thank you, Captain … End of an era in whites! … We are proud of you, Hitman,” India cricket said in a statement.

Most recently, Sharma captained India to victories at the 2025 ODI Champions Trophy and the 2024 T20 World Cup, after which he announced his retirement from that format.

India opens its five-test tour of England on June 20.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket