"Maybe some of the senior players would have been asked" - Indian legend's stunning claim on Rohit Sharma missing BGT 2024-25 5th Test

Former India opener Sunil Gavaskar weighed in on skipper Rohit Sharma opting out of the fifth Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 Test against Australia that started today (Friday, January 3) in Sydney. He reckoned that some of the senior players may have been consulted, along with the coach, chief selector, and Rohit himself, before the final call on the playing XI was taken.

Jasprit Bumrah walked out for the toss in Sydney and confirmed Rohit opting out of the all-important contest. The 37-year-old has been in woeful form in the series, scoring only 31 runs at an average of 6.20 in three Tests.

Rohit's lean patch dates back to the home series against New Zealand, where he averaged under 16, as India suffered a 0-3 whitewash. His last 15 Test innings have yielded just 164 runs at a dismal average of under 11, with a lone half-century.

Talking about Rohit's exclusion during the lunch break on Day 1 of the Sydney Test on Star Sports, Gavaskar said [via India Today]:

"At the end of the day, he's also part of the selection committee. What happens in Indian cricket is there is a selection committee which chooses the squad to go to travel overseas. Then when you come overseas, the captain, the coach, and I think if there's one selector, they generally form the selection committee."

"I believe the chairman of the selection committee, Ajit Agarar is here in town, so he would have been part of the call that was taken. Maybe some of the senior players in the team would have been asked," he added.

Team India won the series opener by 295 runs in Perth in Rohit's absence, with Bumrah leading the side. They, however, lost two of the next three Tests, making it five losses in their last six Test outings under Rohit.

"It looks that the Melbourne Test would be Rohit Sharma's last game" - Sunil Gavaskar

BORDER GAVASKAR TROPHY TEST: DEC 30 NRMA Insurance Boxing Day Test - Source: Getty

Sunil Gavaskar believes the Melbourne Test of the ongoing series may have been Rohit Sharma's final outing in Test cricket.

With India not having any more Test matches after the Australia series in the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, Gavaskar remarked that the management will likely look for someone new to lead the side in the 2025-27 cycle.

"To me, it looks that the Melbourne Test would be Rohit Sharma's last game. The new cycle of the World Test Championship will start from the England series, so they will look to have somebody who will be available for 2027 final. Whether India gets to the final or not is another matter, but I think that's what the selection committee will do. Therefore maybe we've probably seen Rohit Sharma for the last time in Test cricket," Gavaskar said in the same discussion.

Rohit has played 67 Tests in his illustrious career, scoring 4,301 runs at an average of 40.57, including 12 centuries and 18 half-centuries.