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Key Points

Rohit Sharma made a surprise appearance at The Oval during the fifth Test between India and England. The retired skipper, dressed casually, watched the game alongside Mumbai Indians owner Akash Ambani. This marks his first public sighting at a Test since retiring from the format in May. Fans will next see him in ODIs during India's Australia tour in October.

Key Points: Rohit Sharma Watches India at The Oval With Akash Ambani

  • Rohit Sharma seen at The Oval for first time since Test retirement
  • Mumbai Indians owner Akash Ambani accompanies him
  • Sharma retired with 4,301 Test runs and 12 centuries
  • India's next ODI fixtures feature Sharma and Kohli in Australia
2 min read

5th Test: Rohit Sharma makes an appearance during day three's play at The Oval

Retired skipper Rohit Sharma spotted at The Oval during India vs England Test, first appearance since quitting Tests in May.

"He would be pretty happy with what he has been seeing this morning. – Mel Jones"

London, Aug 2

India’s ODI skipper Rohit Sharma made a surprise appearance at The Oval during day three of the ongoing fifth Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test between the visitors and England.

Television cameras caught Rohit’s arrival at the venue and later showed him watching his side bat during the opening session. Rohit, dressed in a casual black denim shacket and jeans, appeared relaxed as he followed the proceedings. The broadcast cameras returned to him towards the end of the first session, prompting former Australia women’s cricketer Mel Jones to say on air, "He would be pretty happy with what he has been seeing this morning."

Notably, it is also the first time since announcing his retirement from the longest format in May this year that Rohit was spotted in the stands of a Test match. Spotted alongside Rohit was Akash Ambani, the Mumbai Indians owner.

On May 7, Rohit announced his retirement from Tests with immediate effect, ending a career where he amassed 4,301 runs from 67 Tests at an average of 40.57, including hitting 12 centuries and 18 fifties. Rohit also led India in 24 Tests, winning 12 and losing nine games.

Rohit averaged a wonderful 42.81 in 66 innings as an opener in Tests, including hitting nine centuries and eight fifties. He also oversaw India becoming runners-up in the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final after losing to Australia at The Oval.

Earlier in June 2024, Rohit had announced his retirement from T20Is after India beat South Africa by seven runs to win the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup. Fans will have to wait until October 2025 to see the ‘Hitman’ back in action, as India are not scheduled to play any ODIs before then.

Both Rohit and Virat Kohli—who has also stepped away from Test and T20Is—are expected to return for the ODI leg of India’s white-ball tour of Australia, starting on October 19 at Perth Stadium, followed by matches at Adelaide Oval and Sydney Cricket Ground on October 23 and 25 respectively.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Priyanka N
Honestly feel Rohit retired from Tests too early. He had at least 2 good years left in him as opener. His experience would have been invaluable in this England series where our batting has struggled 😕
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Aryan P
Rohit Sharma casually watching cricket in denim while others are sweating it out on field - typical Hitman style! 😂 But seriously, his test stats as opener were outstanding. Miss seeing him in whites.
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Sarah B
As an England fan, I must say Rohit was always a class act against us. His 127 at The Oval in 2021 was one of the best overseas innings I've seen. Glad he's enjoying retirement but Indian cricket will miss him.
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Karthik V
Interesting to see him with Akash Ambani... MI planning something big for next IPL season? Rohit as mentor-cum-player would be perfect transition after Hardik's captaincy experiment failed last season.
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Nisha Z
His test average of 42+ as opener is better than many legends! But timing his retirement after T20 WC win was perfect - going out on a high. Now enjoy family time Hitman, you've earned it! 👏

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