Rohit Sharma reveals father Gurunath Sharma's disappointment over his sudden Test retirement, says 'he appreciates red-ball cricket a lot and...'

India ODI captain Rohit Sharma recently offered a heartfelt tribute to his father, Gurunath Sharma, highlighting the deep-rooted influence he had on his journey as a cricketer. He also opened up on his father's sacrifices for his upbringing. Rohit who has already announced his retirement from T20Is and Tests, revealed that his father was a little disappointed from his decision to hang up his boots from the longest format of the game.

Emotional Rohit Sharma shared that his father had once worked for a transport company, played a pivotal role in ensuring that the family never lacked anything.

"My father was very much involved in sacrificing things so that we could have a good life," Rohit recalled in a book launch event by India cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara's wife, Puja Pujara, who wrote 'The Diary of a Cricketer's Wife.'

"He has always been a fan of Test cricket from day one," he added. "He does not like this new age cricket," he noted.

"I still remember the day I scored 264 in an ODI," Rohit recounted.

"He was like, 'Okay, well played, well done.' There was no such excitement, despite it being a world record," he said.

In contrast, his father's enthusiasm for Test cricket was unmissable.

"Even if I get a good 30s or 40s or 50s or 60s in Test cricket, he would talk to me in detail. That's the kind of love he had for the game," he noted.

For Rohit, his father's appreciation of the red-ball format made his recent decision to step away from Test cricket an emotional one.

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"He has seen me play a lot of cricket with the red ball, obviously. So, he appreciates red-ball cricket a lot and was a little disappointed when I announced my retirement, but he was happy as well at the same time," he said.

Rohit acknowledged his father's lasting impact on his life and career.

"He has played a huge role in where I am today," he added.

Rohit announced his Test retirement on May 7, sharing a story on Instagram ahead of the five-Test match series against England. He played 67 Tests in 11 years and scored 4,301 runs at an average of 40.57, with 12 centuries and 18 fifties.