"8 short of the 75 you once desired" - Discarded India assistant coach pays interesting tribute to Rohit Sharma after latter's Test retirement

Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar paid tribute to Rohit Sharma following the veteran batter's announcement of his retirement from Test cricket on Wednesday, May 7. The 38-year-old shared the news via an Instagram story, writing:

"Hello everyone, I would just like to share that I am retiring from Test cricket. It's been an absolute honor 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 following day, Thursday, May 8, Nayar posted an Instagram story to pay tribute to Rohit, noting that he fell eight matches short of the 75 he once aspired to play when they were young. The 41-year-old wrote:

“8 short of the 75 you once desired when we were young but the impact you had on the this generation will be your greatest legacy brother. A leader like no other. See you on the other side soon.”

Abhishek Nayar honors Rohit Sharma with a heartfelt tribute (Image via Instagram-@abhisheknayar)

The Mumbai batter, who made his Test debut against the West Indies in 2013, went on to play 67 matches in the longest format for India. Initially starting his career in the middle order, Rohit eventually established himself as a key member of the playing XI, opening the batting.

Throughout his 67 Test appearances, Rohit scored 4,301 runs at an average of 40.57, including 18 fifties and 12 centuries, with nine of those centuries coming as an opener. Additionally, he captained India in 24 Tests, leading the team to 12 wins, nine losses, and three draws.

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Rohit Sharma has scored three fifties in the ongoing IPL 2025

For the first time since announcing his retirement from Test cricket, Rohit Sharma will return to action when he takes the field for Mumbai Indians (MI) in their IPL 2025 match against Punjab Kings (PBKS), scheduled for Sunday, May 11.

So far, the opening batter has played 11 matches, scoring 300 runs at an average of 30.00 and a strike rate of 152.28, including three fifties.