With the announcement coming just before the final team selection for the India tour to England, Rohit’s sudden retirement from Test cricket left one and all in shock. The news left the fans stunned, and his family, especially his father, felt quite shocked and, at least initially, were also disappointed.
While in Mumbai for a book launch of Cheteshwar Pujara’s wife, Rohit recounted how much his dad loved Test cricket. He said that his dear dad has always rather preferred Test cricket to these newer and shorter versions of the game. My father worked with a transport company; he did whatever he could so that we had a decent life. From Day One, he’s been a Test cricket fan and is not such a big fan of the modern styles of the game. I remember that when I scored 264 in an ODI, he just said, ‘Well played;’ there wasn’t this huge fanfare, because his likes are different,” said Rohit.
He continued to say that his father used to give him detailed feedback of his Test matches, whether he made 30, 40, or 60: “He has seen my whole journey in cricket-from school, U19 to the Indian team.”
At first, the father was a bit disappointed by the retirement, but he soon accepted it. “He appreciates red-ball cricket a lot and has watched me play numerous matches. So while he felt sad about my decision, he was also happy for me,” Rohit explained.
With his 12 centuries and 18 half-centuries, Rohit finally bid adieu to his Test career was another big achievement towards leading India into the World Test Championship final in 2023. Now moving forward, Gill will be the captain when the team tours England from June 20.
