The year 2025 was a turning point for Rohit Sharma as he turned 38. His Test career ended after the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where he made the tough call to drop himself from the Sydney Test amid India’s
struggles. While the tour ended in disappointment, the Nagpur-born continued to excel in the One-Day Internationals, the only international format he currently plays.
In the Champions Trophy, he once again gave solid starts at the top, saving his best for the final. Rohit also enjoyed Australia’s ODI series, scoring a fifty and an unbeaten 121, performances that lifted him to No. 1 in the ICC ODI rankings for the first time in his career. He also returned to domestic cricket and scored a Vijay Hazare Trophy century for Mumbai.
In this article, CricTracker has a look at the top three moments of the iconic batter in the year.
Here are the top 3 moments of 2025 in Rohit Sharma's cricket career
3. Test retirement
Modern-day Indian great Rohit Sharma’s decision to retire from Test cricket in 2025 was one of the most shocking moments of his illustrious career. Announced through a social media post on May 07, the decision brought the curtains down on an 11-year journey in whites, during which he transitioned from a late bloomer into a dependable opener and eventually the captain. The right-handed batter featured in 67 Tests, scoring 4,301 runs, including 12 centuries to his name.
His Test career was never constant, with a late debut, early struggles, a revival as an opener in 2019, and standout knocks. Though his final phase was hampered by a dip in form, Rohit chose to exit from the longest format of the game. With this, he now only serves the Men in Blue in the 50-over format that too, as a specialist batter, since the BCCI has made Shubman Gill the captain.
2. Most sixes in international cricket
Rohit Sharma registered his name in history books by becoming the highest six-hitter in international cricket. The landmark moment came during the first ODI against South Africa in Ranchi, where he surpassed Shahid Afridi’s long-standing record, held for 15 years. He now has 352 maximums from 277 matches, surpassing Afridi’s tally of 351. Overall, Rohit has smashed 645 sixes in international cricket, ahead of Chris Gayle’s 553. In T20Is, Rohit leads the charts with 205 sixes, while his 88 sixes in Tests place him among India’s top power-hitters in the longest format.
As an ODI captain, he hammered 126 sixes, second only to Eoin Morgan. Rohit also owns records for most ODI World Cup sixes (54) and most sixes in a calendar year (67 in 2023). Early in his career, six-hitting was not his standout trait. But, since 2013, he has shown his full range and begun clearing the ropes with ease. Since then, Rohit’s six-hitting graph has increased across formats.
1. Champions Trophy triumph as captain
The veteran batter's Champions Trophy 2025 campaign was not filled with big individual scores, but showed his impact as a leader. Throughout the tournament, the Indian captain stuck to his attacking approach, taking the game on at the top and easing pressure on the middle order, even when runs did not flow freely. His intent with the new ball consistently put India ahead in powerplays and allowed others to build around him.
That approach saw him build on the strong start in the final against New Zealand in Dubai. Chasing 252, Rohit started scoring from the second ball of the innings with a six. His 76 off 83 balls made sure the asking rate was under control, even as wickets fell around him. Leading from the front, Rohit anchored the chase, guided India to a four-wicket win, and lifted the Champions Trophy as captain.
