Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma is currently facing one of the toughest phases in his career. While he led India to a memorable T20 World Cup victory in June 2024, things have since taken a drastic downturn—for both him and the team.

Rohit’s form in limited-overs cricket has remained solid over time, but his performance in Test cricket has hit a rough patch, particularly in the last six months. After India’s 2-0 series win against Bangladesh, the team went on to lose six out of their next eight Tests. Rohit captained in five of those matches, further amplifying concerns.

What’s even more alarming is Rohit’s batting struggles. He appears to be out of rhythm, especially when facing quality spin and pace bowling. In his last eight Test matches, he has managed only one half-century. His decision to sit out the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney didn’t help either, as India lost that game and the series 3-1. This year has been Rohit’s most challenging as a Test batter since he debuted in 2013.

Let’s take a closer look at some of Rohit’s lowest Test averages by calendar year:

1. **2022**: Though he played just three innings in 2022, his numbers were underwhelming. Across two Tests, he scored only 90 runs, averaging 30. Highlights included a knock of 46 in Bengaluru against Sri Lanka, but big scores eluded him.

2. **2014**: After an impressive debut year in 2013, Rohit’s Test form faltered in 2014. Across 10 innings, he scored just 237 runs at an average of 26.33, with one fifty to his name. He began the year strongly with a knock of 72 in New Zealand but struggled on tough tours to England and Australia, managing a highest score of 43 in his last three Tests that year.

3. **2018**: Before being promoted as an opener in 2019, Rohit had another disappointing year in 2018. He scored only 184 runs in eight innings at an average of 26.29, with a single half-century. South African pacers Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander exposed his weaknesses during their series, and his performances on the Australia tour also fell short, apart from a solitary knock of 63 in Melbourne.

4. **2015**: This was another forgettable year for Rohit in red-ball cricket. Across seven Tests, he averaged just 25.08, scoring a total of 288 runs. Despite starting with promising knocks of 53 and 39 against Australia in Sydney, he failed to capitalize and slumped further during the tours of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. His low point came against South Africa, where he managed only 26 runs in four innings.

5. **2024**: This has been Rohit’s lowest point as a Test batter since his debut. Across 26 innings this year, he has scored just 619 runs at a subpar average of 24.76. He started strong with two centuries against England at home but couldn’t maintain that momentum. His form took a sharp nosedive during the Bangladesh series, and things haven’t improved since.

While Rohit remains a standout player in limited-overs cricket, his Test career has been on a steep decline since mid-2024. Given his struggles over the past six months, there is growing speculation that India’s selection committee might make tough calls regarding his place in the Test squad for the upcoming England tour in June 2025.

Rohit hasn’t announced any plans to retire from Test cricket yet, but if his current form persists, changes may be inevitable for both him and the team as they look to rebuild for future challenges.