Legendary Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist predicted Rohit Sharma’s possible retirement from international cricket after the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in March. Rohit Sharma’s leadership has come under fire after India’s 1-3 Test series loss to Australia. He was also the big flop with the bat in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 against Australia.
Amid rumors surrounding Rohit Sharma’s future following the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy debacle, Adam Gilchrist also predicted that India could see a change in Test cricket captaincy with Jasprit Bumrah or Virat Kohli as captain during his next assignment against England in June 2025.
Adam Gilchrist predicts Rohit Sharma’s retirement after ICC Champions Trophy 2025
After the disastrous tour of Australia, many have wondered whether the 37-year-old will be part of the squad for India’s upcoming Test series in England, which kicks off the new 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle. Well, Gilchrist expressed doubts about Rohit Sharma’s future in Tests.
The former Australian wicketkeeper-batsman hinted that the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy could be his swan song. Gilchrist does not believe Rohit will extend his Test career until the tour of England, but will have a clearer idea of his future after self-assessment during this break.
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Adam Gilchrist said on Club Prairie Fire: “I don’t see Rohit Sharma going to England. I just felt like he’s saying he’ll evaluate it when he gets home. I mean, the first thing you’ll find when you get home is a two-month-old baby whose diapers you’ll have to change. That might encourage him to go to England. But I know it’s not; I don’t see him pushing. I think he will probably have a chance in the Champions Trophy, and that could be it. That could finish him off.
Virat Kohli or Jasprit Bumrah? Adam Gilchrist weighs in on India’s captaincy conundrum
The cricket expert also has doubts about Jasprit Bumrah being India’s full-time Test captain as he predicted a possible return of Virat Kohli to the captaincy, at least for the upcoming tour of England.
He added: “I don’t know if Bumrah should be a full-time captain. I think that might be a little challenging for him. So who will be the next captain is anyone’s guess, actually, whether they will go back to Virat Kohli. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t mind doing it.”
Meanwhile, former England captain Michael Vaughan said Jasprit Bumrah should be given the captaincy of India and highlighted the team’s performance under the pacer’s leadership. He also noted that if Jasprit Bumrah had not been injured, India would have won the Sydney Test and saved the BGT 2024-25 against Australia.
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Michael Vaughan backs Jasprit Bumrah for India Test captaincy
Michael Vaughan said on the same podcast: “I think you’re right. I would give the captaincy to Jasprit Bumrah, and the reason is that the two performances that India had at their best here in Australia were Perth and the SCG. And if he hadn’t gotten injured, I honestly believe they would have won that game.”
Even Vaughan has backed Shubman Gill as a possible vice-captain for the much-awaited Test series. But the Englishman suggested Gill improve his numbers first in the longest format of the game. He signed off by saying, “I would have someone like Shubman Gill as vice-captain, but with an average of over 45, which I think he has the game to do.”