Indian Cricket Team: The year 2024 has not been so kind to the Indian cricket team. They lost one series after another, one disappointment after the other, to hang their hopes for the final of the World Test Championship. After being whitewashed by New Zealand in India, losing at Adelaide, and then again at Melbourne, they were asked to think of the future ahead.

With one game left in the series, not only is team leadership—heavy with Gautam Gambhir as coach and Rohit Sharma as captain—likely to face a lot of questions from BCCI over the recent performances of the teams but on Rohit Sharma’s retirement from Test cricket: that’s two reasons why it’s the biggest talk of the town. Firstly, his form hasn’t been at its best and he has failed to score enough runs to ensure a place for himself in the team.

Second, Jasprit Bumrah seems promising as an effective future leader, and many feel that BCCI may try to accelerate the transition process. This notion intensified after Rohit replaced Shubman Gill at Melbourne to send the latter out to bat for first wickets.

Also Read: Cricket Australia Rewards Jasprit Bumrah, Makes Him Captain Of Test Team Of 2024

Australian cricket legend Mark Waugh commented on the scenario, suggesting that “If I were a selector, and Rohit doesn’t score runs in the second innings, I’d be saying, ‘Thank you for your service, Rohit, but we’re handing the captaincy over to Jasprit Bumrah for the SCG.'”

After India’s defeat in the 4th Test, Rohit met the media, saying that though his team had a tough time, he wasn’t ready to give up on his position. “I stand where I am standing today,” he said. “Yes, the results haven’t gone our way, and as captain, it’s mentally tough. As a batter, it’s hard when things don’t fall into place, but that’s part of the game. I’m focused on moving ahead.”

That also means Rohit has scored only 164 runs in his last 15 innings, averaging less than 11 runs. Shubman Gill had much stronger figures and was benched for this match in Melbourne.
Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as India’s head coach has been questioned again. The team has experienced surprising defeats, including an ODI series loss to Sri Lanka and a home Test sweep against New Zealand.

Now, with the team all but out of the World Test Championship race following their struggles in Australia, Gambhir’s decisions, particularly around team selection, have been questioned. However, reports suggest that Gambhir has not had a direct role in selecting the playing XI.

It was also reported that Gambhir is somehow connected to Ravichandran Ashwin’s retirement from the game right after the third Test at Brisbane. But according to the latest news, Gambhir and Ashwin had a very good relationship. He decided on his retirement by himself.

As the Border-Gavaskar Trophy comes to a close, Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir can expect some tough questions from the BCCI as to their future in the team following the general recent decline of the team.

Also Read: Rohit Sharma Gives Emotional Flashback Of 2024 With A Heartfelt Post