Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma's forced retirements due to Gautam Gambhir's politics!! Full Story OUT

Former Indian pacer Karsan Ghavri criticized the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over the Test retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Ghavri stated that Virat and Rohit were willing to continue their Test careers, but the board and the selection panel, headed by Ajit Agarkar, forced them to retire.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired from Test cricket within five days ahead of the England tour. Rohit was the first to announce his departure, sharing the news via an Instagram story, while Kohli informed the BCCI of his decision and confirmed his retirement through an Instagram post a few days later.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma Last Played for India in the 2025 Champions Trophy

Virat Kohli ended his 14-year Test career as India’s fourth-highest run-scorer, scoring 9,230 runs in 123 matches with 30 centuries and 31 fifties. He also retired as India’s most successful Test captain, winning 40 of 68 games, including India's first Test series triumph in Australia in 2018-19.

SHORTS

View More

Your daily dose of cricket!

Loading...

Rohit Sharma’s Test career never reached the same heights. However, he delivered impressively after becoming an opener in September 2019. The 38-year-old last played for India during the BGT 2024-25 in Australia. He scored 4,301 runs in 67 Tests at an average of 40.58, including 12 centuries and 28 fifties.

The duo last played an international match in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, where India defeated New Zealand in Dubai to claim the title.

Virat Kohli Should Have Definitely Continued Playing for India - Karsan Ghavri

Speaking on the Vickey Lalwani Show, Karsan Ghavri said the BCCI didn't give Virat Kohli a farewell. He stated that Kohli could have continued playing for India for several more years but was forced to retire. Ghavri added that Kohli contributed immensely to Indian cricket and deserved a grand send-off.

"He [Kohli] should have definitely continued playing for India easily, probably for another couple of years. But something really forced him to retire," Ghavri said.

"And unfortunately, when he retired, he was not even given a farewell by the BCCI. Such players, such a great player who has done such great service to BCCI, India cricket and Indian fans, should be given a grand and fabulous farewell," he added.

The Delhi-born cricketer faced scrutiny over his place in the team after underwhelming performances in consecutive series against New Zealand and Australia. He scored a single century in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but struggled in the remaining innings.

It’s Due to Internal Politics Within the BCCI - Karsan Ghavri

Karsan Ghavri said that internal politics within the BCCI forced Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to retire from Test cricket. The 74-year-old added that the board and selectors did not want them to continue playing and described the situation as “petty politics.”

"It's due to internal politics within the BCCI, which is hard to understand. And I think this is the reason he retired prematurely. Even Rohit Sharma retired prematurely. They were asked to go out. It's not like they wanted to leave. They wanted to continue. But the selectors and BCCI had different ideas. It was a matter of some kind of petty politics," Ghavri stated.

Also read: Watch: Sanju Samson grabs stunning one-handed catch; smashes fifty in IPL Trade Window