Jatin Paranjpe, a former BCCI selector, thinks Rohit Sharma could have accomplished a lot more in Test cricket than he did. Announcing his retirement shortly before the England tour squad was to be announced, the Indian veteran abruptly ended his red-ball career and hurried the management to find a new Test captain.
Paranjpe also remembered discussing his objectives in the game’s longest format with Rohit Sharma.
It took Rohit Sharma longer to establish himself and find consistency in the red-ball international scene, even though he had already cemented his spot on India’s white-ball squads.
“I recall that he wasn’t representing India in Test cricket. “I started playing cricket with a red ball, Jatin,” he added during our talk. How can you claim that Test cricket doesn’t interest me? Speaking with Cyrus Broacha on the ‘A Century of Stories’ podcast, Paranjpe stated, “I received the message, and I was hoping that’s what he would say.”
He was capable of much more: Paranjpe
During the 2024–25 tour, the former Mumbai batsman also said he was taken aback when Rohit chose to withdraw from the Sydney Test against Australia. Even before the lineup was revealed, the then-Indian captain had shown enthusiasm in going to England for the series, but he was too busy playing for the Mumbai Indians in the 2025 Indian Premier League to commit to the format.
He claimed that Test cricket is his passion. In my opinion, Rohit Sharma was capable of much more in Test cricket. I believe he would also be the first to express that. We could have tied the series, so I was a little let down that he decided to leave Sydney,” Paranjpe continued.
The former selector also recalled how Rohit Sharma red-ball career changed dramatically when Ravi Shastri decided to promote him to Test opener.
“That is the important point. At the time, I recall being a member of the selection committee. Ravi Shastri came up with that concept. Excellent thinker. When it comes to interpreting the game, Ravi is three to four steps ahead of everyone,” Paranjpe said.
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