Rohit Sharma retains his leading post in Tests after Champions Trophy triumph: Reports

After the disappointment that the Test season turned out to be, the Indian cricket team knew they had to turn things around at the ICC Champions Trophy. A title victory in the ICC event would have rightfully played in their favor, helping the players and the fans move on from the Test heartbreak. Now that the Champions Trophy is India's to claim, elements lying ahead are aligning seamlessly for the players. The end of the Test season brought unrestrained scrutiny for the senior players, especially the skipper, Rohit Sharma. The reports following India's 1-3 defeat in the BGT suggested that the BCCI had moved on from the 37-year-old, with a new face set to lead India in England this year.

Rohit Sharma earns BCCI's backing to continue as India's Test captain following Champions Trophy victory

The latest update from the Indian camp brings an uplifting development for Rohit Sharma. The end of the last WTC cycle, where India lost a place in the WTC Final, landed Sharma in a puddle. Runs dried up from his bat as India endured a first-ever whitewash against New Zealand at home. The form, moreover, remained disappointing during the Border Gavaskar Trophy, where the skipper dropped himself out of the last Test. As India lost the five-match series 1-3, Rohit Sharma, along with Virat Kohli and head coach Gautam Gambhir, picked the slack. As the team then regrouped for the ICC Champions Trophy, reports arose about the Test squad undergoing a transformation ahead of the start of the next WTC cycle.

Leaving the ghosts of the Tests behind, the team under Rohit Sharma performed seamlessly well. After a 3-0 whitewash over England at home, where Rohit came through with a century, India headed to Dubai. In Dubai, Virat Kohli dazzled as he hit form with a century against Pakistan. The senior batter played a crucial knock in the semi-final against Australia, leading the team to the final unbeaten. In the final against New Zealand, Rohit Sharma led from the front, hitting a swift 76 in the chase as his partnership with Shubman Gill for over 100 runs at the top set India on the victory path.

Now, as the players have joined their respective franchises for IPL 2025, Rohit has earned a positive in the national side. Dashing the updates about BCCI moving on from the 37-year-old, the Champions Trophy victory has led the board to extend a longer rope to Rohit in whites. Rohit Sharma is likely to continue leading India in Test cricket for the upcoming five-match series in England this June. As per a recent report, both the BCCI and the national selection committee are standing firmly behind Rohit, trusting him to steer the team on yet another major overseas assignment.

“He has shown what he can do. Every stakeholder feels that he is the right candidate to lead the Indian side for the tour of England. Rohit too has expressed his eagerness to keep playing red-ball cricket,” a source told.

Although Rohit Sharma has not provided a clear picture of his long-term plans, he has expressed enjoyment in his current role. Following India's Champions Trophy triumph over New Zealand, he brushed aside any immediate discussions of retirement. When probed about his availability for the 2027 ODI World Cup, the Indian skipper left the possibility open-ended. Meanwhile, reports from India’s tour of Australia had suggested tensions within the team environment, and Rohit’s withdrawal from the last Test only added to the conjecture. However, the Champions Trophy victory appears to have silenced much of that chatter. Moreover, despite opting out of the Sydney Test, Rohit remained hopeful of his comeback in the format, dashing any speculations about his exit from Tests.

“There is no guarantee that runs won’t come five or two months down the line. I have seen a lot of cricket. Life changes every second, every minute, every day. I have confidence in myself that things can change, but at the same time I have to be realistic as well,” he had told during the Border Gavaskar Trophy.