Rohit Sharma, the Indian ODI captain, was recently sighted at Mumbai airport with his family. Many fans predicted that the former Indian Test skipper would travel to Leeds for the first Test of the India vs England series. Rohit was seen carrying his newborn son Ahaan, together with his wife Ritika Sajdeh and daughter Samaira. However, his final destination has not been confirmed.
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On May 7, the 38-year-old officially declared his retirement from Test cricket, effectively ending his red-ball career. Rohit struggled against New Zealand and Australia after reaching 400 runs in five home Tests against England earlier in 2024. His failure to lead India to a Test victory in Australia, combined with only 31 runs in five innings, contributed significantly to his departure.
According to sources close to the BCCI, the board devised a move that would allow Rohit Sharma to leave the Test.
Meanwhile, the right-handed hitter will continue to represent India in ODIs. Rohit, who has played 273 ODIs and scored 11,168 runs, will next be in action during India’s trip of Bangladesh in August 2025. However, despite Rohit’s recent appearance at the airport and no information on his trip to the UK, it is unclear whether he would be present at the stadium for any of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy matches.
Virat Kohli hosts Indian players at his London home
Notably, the Leeds Test will also witness the Indian team without another modern-day great, Virat Kohli. The 36-year-old stepped away from Test cricket during IPL 2025, ending an illustrious 14-year career. Despite his retirement, Kohli has stayed closely connected with the team.
On June 16, just days before the Test series, Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma hosted Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Mohammed Siraj, and some other members at their London residence. While, despite being in London, there is no confirmation about Kohli’s presence in the stands for any of the matches of the series.
Star batter KL Rahul recently revealed that it feels weird to walk into a dressing room without the two legendary batters. New captain Shubman Gill, speaking ahead of his first Test as skipper, shared that he had spoken to both Rohit and Kohli during IPL 2025 regarding England series.
