Fans have paid tribute to Rohit Sharma as the India captain announced his retirement from Test cricket with immediate effect on Wednesday, May 7. Rohit announced his decision to retire from the longest format of the game via his Instagram stories just ahead of India’s tour to England.

The selectors were set to decide on the squad in two weeks, but there were question marks about Rohit’s future going forward. The 38-year-old was recently backed by India coach Gautam Gambhir, saying that he and Virat Kohli can be a part of the squad as long as they perform well.

Rohit said in a message on his Instagram stories that he will continue playing the ODI format for India, where he is still the captain of the team.

“Hello everyone. I would just like to share that I am retiring from Test cricket. It’s been an absolute honour to represent my country in whites. Thank you for all the love and support over the years. I will centinue to represent India in the ODI format,” said Rohit on Instagram.

This would create frenzy on social media as fans paid tribute to the retiring Indian captain. Many said that it was the end of an era in Test cricket. Others thanked Rohit for his contributions for the Test team, who he lead to the World Test Championship final in 2023.

Punjab Kings also joined in with a special tribute for the retiring Indian captain.

Here’s a look at some of the other reactions from fans:

Rohit Sharma leaves after a stellar Test career

Rohit leaves the longest format of the game after a stellar career in Tests. The 38-year-old played 67 matches and scored 4307 runs in the format with 12 hundreds and 18 fifties to his name. Rohit was the highest run-getter for India since the WTC cycle started with 2716 runs to his name from 40 matches.

Rohit’s position in the side came into question after his poor form during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where he scored just 36 runs across three Tests.