Rohit Sharma was 'offended' at ex-India selector questioning his loyalty for Test cricket: 'How can you say that?'

Rohit Sharma retired from Test cricket in May earlier this year after a poor run throughout the 2024/25 season.

Few modern batters are as admired in Indian cricket as Rohit Sharma. His elegance and timing have made him among the standout batters across formats; however, while his white-ball achievements have long been cemented, Rohit’s journey in Test cricket always reached an end which looked rather unfinished.

India's captain Rohit Sharma during the 2024/25 Test series in Australia (AFP)

Rohit’s sudden retirement from Test cricket ahead of the England series caught many by surprise, not least because it came without a farewell game or a prolonged dip in fitness. While his red-ball numbers never quite matched his white-ball legacy, many felt the India captain still had enough to offer in the longest format.

The decision surprised many, including former India selector Jatin Paranjpe, who has now offered a glimpse into the mindset of a young player who wanted to represent the side in all formats.

“I remember he was not playing Test cricket for India. And we had this conversation, and he said, ‘I started playing cricket with a red ball, Jatin. How can you say that I am not interested in Test cricket?’ I got the message, and I was hoping that that was what he would say,” Paranjpe recalled in A Centuries of Stories podcast.

In fact, when the interviewer, Cyrus Brocha, asked Paranjpe later in the same interview if Rohit felt “offended” at the question about his red-ball priorities, Paranjpe agreed. “Yeah, yeah. The perspective he gave me made me sit up and think. His point of view was that 'I've grown up playing with the red ball, how can I be far away from it?' That's, again, his unique perspective,” recalled the former selector.

Rohit's Test revival

Rohit had struggled for years to crack into India's Test setup consistently, largely due to injuries and inconsistent form. But when Ravi Shastri backed him as an opener in 2019, everything changed. That single tactical switch revitalised Rohit’s red-ball career and gave India one of its most composed Test openers at the top. Paranjpe credited Shastri for the vision.

“That’s the big moment. I remember I was part of the selection committee at that time. That was Ravi Shastri’s idea. Superb thinker. Ravi is 3–4 steps ahead of everybody when it comes to reading the game,” he said.

For now, Rohit continues to lead India in ODIs, which is the only format he plays. As of now, Rohit's next appearance for India will be in October when the side tours Australia for a three-ODI series.