5 worst records of Rohit Sharma as captain

5 worst records of Rohit Sharma as captain (Photo source: X)

Former Indian Test captain Rohit Sharma silently rose through the ranks to become one of the most prominent names in world cricket. Starting his career as a middle-order batter, he was later promoted to open the innings for India. Through consistent performances and successful leadership in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Rohit eventually took over as captain of the national side. While his tenure witnessed many highs, it also included a few disappointing lows. Today, CricTracker lists down the five most forgettable and disappointing records of the 38-year-old as the Men in Blue skipper.

5 worst records of Rohit Sharma as a captain

Biggest defeat in terms of balls remaining (ODI)

Under Rohit’s leadership, India suffered their worst ODI defeat in terms of the margin of balls remaining. This occurred during the second ODI against Australia in Visakhapatnam in March 2023, where India were bowled out for just 117 runs. Australia chased down the target in only 11 overs, with a staggering 234 balls remaining. The crushing loss remains one of the most one-sided results in India’s ODI history, and came as a significant blemish during the Nagpur-born’s captaincy. Mitchell Starc was declared the Player of the Match in this game.

Most home Test losses

Rohit’s stint as India’s Test captain has been marked by unexpected struggles, particularly at home, traditionally a stronghold for the Baggy Blues. During his tenure, India suffered five home Test defeats, including a loss to Australia, England, and three to New Zealand. This became a sharp contrast to India’s dominance at home over the last couple of decades, where they had dominated the No. 1 ranking in the longest format of the game for quite some time.

No ODI wins in a calendar year

In 2024, the Men in Blue failed to win a single One-Day International (ODI) match under Rohit’s captaincy. The team lost a three-match series 0–2 to Sri Lanka (one match was tied), marking the first time since 1979 that India went winless in one-day games for an entire calendar year. Rohit, however, started his ODI stint in 2025 on a superb note, defeating England in a home series, and later leading the side to a Champions Trophy triumph in Dubai.

First-ever clean sweep at home

Another unwanted record under Rohit’s captaincy came when India suffered their first-ever clean sweep at home in a Test series. Facing New Zealand, India lost the three-match series 0–3, and handed them the most embarrassing defeat in 91 years of Test cricket. This historic defeat ended a long-standing unbeaten home record. The Indian captain’s “A series loss at home in twelve years is okay” statement made the controversial rounds, questioning his mindset as the leader of the red-ball squad.

Lowest batting average by a visiting captain

Rohit endured one of his poorest performances as a visiting captain and batter during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024–25. Over five innings, he managed to score only 31 runs, finishing the series with a batting average of just 6.20. This marked the lowest batting average by a captain in red-ball cricket in an away series. For India, the series was nothing less than a nightmare, as they lost the five-match series, despite starting off on a brilliant note at Perth, where the side was led by Jasprit Bumrah. Rohit took retirement from red-ball cricket after this series.