"You made Test cricket your own" - Suniel Shetty's heartwarming tribute as Rohit Sharma retires from Test cricket

Renowned Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty has come up with a heartwarming tribute for Rohit Sharma. The former Indian T20I skipper announced his retirement from Test cricket on Wednesday, May 7, amid the ongoing IPL 2025 season.

Suniel Shetty praised Rohit Sharma, recalling his classic pull shots and the poise and pride he brought while donning the whites for India. He also lauded Rohit for his elegance and leadership, stating that he made Test cricket his own.

"The pull shots, the poise, the pride in whites…unforgettable. From effortless elegance to fearless leadership — you made Test cricket your own, on your own terms. The whites will miss #SharmajiKaBeta. We all will. 🫡 @ImRo45," he wrote on his X (Twitter) handle.

Rohit Sharma played 67 Tests for India, scoring 4301 runs at an average of 40.57 with 12 hundreds and 18 fifties to his name in the format. Having retired from T20Is after the 2024 World Cup triumph, Rohit will now play only ODI cricket for India and will continue to lead in the 50-over format.

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India will have to name a new Test captain following Rohit Sharma's retirement

India are set to tour England for a five-Test series in June 2025, soon after the IPL 2025 season. There were question marks on Rohit Sharma's leadership after the debacle in Australia.

India suffered a humiliating series defeat in Australia before they lost the home Test series to New Zealand. With back-to-back Test series defeats, the England series will be a crucial one for India, who will look to bounce back. It also marks the beginning of the new World Test Championship cycle for India.

With Rohit Sharma now having retired, it is clear that he will no longer be the skipper. That means the Indian team will have to name a new captain for the upcoming England series and beyond. While Shubman Gill and Jasprit Bumrah appear to be the frontrunners for captaincy, it will be interesting to see who the management decides to go with.

With the IPL 2025 season going on, the squad for the England tour is yet to be announced, but is expected to be out soon.