Rohit Sharma’s 'I'm not going anywhere' remark gets ignored by BCCI ahead of SGM: 'He was looking for escape route...'

With India's World Test Championship hopes over following the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series loss, one of the key discussions on Test cricket, before the focus shifts on the impending Champions Trophy, will certainly be on the future of the team's two senior stars - Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The India captain did clarify that his Sydney move did not hint at his retirement from the format. But his viral remark reportedly fell on deaf ears in the BCCI circuit. India captain Rohit Sharma. (PTI)(HT_PRINT)

The BCCI Special General Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, and Devajit Saikia will assume the role of the board's secretary. One key aspect that could be discussed is Rohit's Test future after a disappointing show in Australia.

The 37-year-old amassed just 31 runs in five innings on the tour, at just 6.2, the worst-ever average recorded by a touring captain in Australia. The runs added to his poor tally of 164 runs in the last eight Tests since September, where he averaged just a tick over 10 with a solitary fifty.

Following his woeful run, Rohit decided to "opt out" of the series decider in Sydney, which sparked speculation on whether the India captain had already played his final Test match. But he was quick to clarify as he told Star Sports on Day 2 of the Sydney Test that “I am not going anywhere”.

However, according to a report in the Hindustan Times, as Saikia is all set to sit down with the team management and chief selector Ajit Agarkar for a series review, board officials revealed that not much can be read into Rohit's comment on retirement.

'Rohit was looking for escape route...'

Before taking that call in Sydney, Rohit, who batted at No. 6 for India in the second and third Test, did force his way up to the opening spot in Melbourne, which left KL Rahul to bat at No. 3, while Shubman Gill was let out of the line-up. But following a twin failure in the Boxing Day Test, Rohit took the decision to step out of the playing XI and make way for in-form batters.

According to the board, who entirely depend on Agarkar to make the difficult call, Rohit was merely looking for a last-gasp solution to qualify for the WTC final.

“Rohit was waiting to see if India could find an escape route to the WTC final. Now, it’s really up to him whether to continue to fight for a spot,” said a BCCI official, who did not wish to be identified. “But the decision will be down to Ajit Agarkar and his selection committee.”

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