Indian captain Rohit Sharma is going through one of the leanest phases in his cricketing career. It was under Rohit that India lifted the T20 World Cup in June 2024 but since then everything seems to have gone pear-shaped for him and the Indian team.

While his numbers in limited-overs cricket have remained impressive over a significant period, his record in Test cricket has dipped quite drastically in the last six months.

Following India’s 2-0 series win against Bangladesh, they have lost six out of the eight Tests played, with Rohit having captained in five of those matches.

What’s more concerning is the Indian skipper’s form with the bat. He has looked out of shape and has never looked comfortable against quality spin and pace. In the last eight Tests, Rohit has just scored a solitary half-century.

He decided to step out of the playing XI for the last Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney but India still lost the match, surrendering the series 3-1. This has been Rohit Sharma’s worst year as a batter in Test cricket since making his debut in 2013.

With that, let us have a look at the top five lowest Test averages in a calendar year for Rohit Sharma:

# 5. Rohit Sharma’s average in 2022- 30.00

While the sample size was pretty small in 2022, Rohit couldn’t score big in the three innings he played in that particular year. He scored only 90 runs in the two Tests, averaging just 30.

He scored 29 in the first innings of the opening Test against Sri Lanka and wasn’t required to bat in the second innings. Rohit scored 46 and 15 in the second Test at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

# 4. Rohit Sharma’s average in 2014- 26.33

After a sensational turnaround in his white-ball career, Rohit wanted to cement his place in the red-ball setup. However, after a sensational start to his career in 2013, there was a significant dip in the next couple of years.

He scored just 237 runs in 10 innings at an average of 26.33, including a solitary fifty. Rohit failed to make an impact in three of the most difficult tours in 2014. He started the year with a bang, scoring 72 at the Eden Park in Auckland.

However, a string of low scores following the opening Test in New Zealand brought his average down drastically. He endured a tough time in England and Australia and ended with the highest score of 43 in the last three Tests of the year.

# 3. Rohit Sharma’s average in 2018- 26.29

Before being promoted to the top of the order in 2019, Rohit had a year to forget in 2018. He scored just 184 runs in eight innings at an average of 26.29, with a solitary half-century.

Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander worked him out during the Test series in South Africa. He scored just 78 runs in those four innings before another poor series in Australia. He scored a stroke-filled 63 in Melbourne but overall his performances were far from ideal in 2018.

# 2. Rohit Sharma’s average in 2015- 25.08

While Rohit Sharma kept growing as a white ball cricketer from 2013, his Test career went down the slope from 2014. 2015 was forgettable for him as he averaged just 25.08 in seven Tests.

He started the year with impressive knocks of 53 and 39 against Australia in Sydney but lost his way with a string of low scores against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

He scored a couple of half-centuries against the Lankans in the three-match Test series but couldn’t quite finish the year on a high. Rohit scored just 26 runs in the four innings against South Africa to bring his average down to a mere 25.08 by the end of the year.

# 1. Rohit Sharma’s average in 2024- 24.76

It has been an unreal decline for Rohit Sharma as a Test batter in 2024. This is also the lowest Test average for the Indian skipper since making his debut in 2013.

In 26 innings, Rohit has scored just 619 runs at a below-par average of 24.76. Rohit started the year with two centuries against England in the five-match Test series at home.

He looked in fluent touch and carried on his rich vein of form in the shorter formats. Rohit also led India to the T20 World Cup win but since the Test series against Bangladesh, his performances have gone down in a manner that nobody could have predicted.

Rohit hasn’t yet announced his retirement from the longest format but given his numbers in the last six months, the Indian selection committee might take harsh decisions and drop him from the tour of England slated to be played from June 2025.