India captain Rohit Sharma may have played his final Test, speculated Sunil Gavaskar during the lunch break of the 5th Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test. Gavaskar cited India’s slim chances of reaching the World Test Championship final and the absence of upcoming home Tests, suggesting the selection committee might look for a younger batter to serve until the 2027 WTC cycle's end.

"Well, I think what it probably means is that India doesn't qualify for the World Test Championship final. To me, it looks like the Melbourne Test would be Rohit Sharma's last game. The new cycle of the World Test Championship will start from the England series, so they will look to have somebody who will be available for the 2027 final. Whether India gets to the final or not is another matter, but I think that's what the selection committee will do.”

“Therefore maybe we've probably seen Rohit Sharma for the last time in Test cricket," Sunil Gavaskar said on Star Sports.

Sunil Gavaskar speculated that Ajit Agarkar, chairman of the selection committee, likely played a key role in the decision to rest Rohit Sharma for the series’ final Test. With India trailing 1-2 before the Sydney Test, the team needed a victory to stay in contention for the World Test Championship final, adding weight to the decision.

“At the end of the day, he's also part of the selection committee. What happens in Indian cricket is that there is a selection committee that chooses the squad to go to travel overseas. Then when you come overseas, the captain, the coach, and I think if there's one selector, they generally form the selection committee. I believe the chairman of the selection committee, Ajit Agarar, is here in town, so he would have been part of the call that was taken. Maybe some of the senior players in the team would have been asked," Gavaskar added.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri echoed Sunil Gavaskar’s sentiments, suggesting that Rohit Sharma might have continued playing if a home Test season had followed the Australia series.

"If there was a home season coming up, he might have thought of carrying on, but I think he might just pull the plug at the end of this Test. He's not getting younger; he's 38 years of age. It's not that India doesn't have youngsters; there are some very, very good players in the wings, and it's time to build. It's a tough decision, but there's a time for everything," Ravi Shastri said on Star Sports.