NEW DELHI:
Rohit Sharma rose from humble beginnings to captain cricket-mad India and redefined Test batting with his ability to score big hundreds as he dominated opposition attacks.
The 38-year-old called time on his Test career on Wednesday after playing 67 matches and scoring 4301 runs including 12 centuries since his debut in 2013.
Rohit quit T20 international cricket in 2024 after lifting the World Cup and earlier this year led India to an ODI Champions Trophy title in Dubai.
He will continue to play the ODI format but his declining batting form in the five-day format prompted his decision to call time on a career divided into two halves.
As a youngster Rohit studied on a scholarship because his family was unable to afford monthly fees of a few dollars.
He overcame all odds to become a cricketing superstar, especially in the white-ball game, his feats including taking his country to World Cup glory in 2024.
He is also the only batsman to have scored three double-centuries in one-day internationals.
Prior to his drop-off in form, Rohit gave India real firepower at the top of the innings and his selfless approach allowed the rest of the batsmen to play freely.
