Virat Kohli's international retirement confirmed, Rohit Sharma gone too
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Rohit Sharma was recently replaced as the skipper of the Indian ODI side ahead of the Australia series, while Shubman Gill was named in the role. Amid such calls, the former teammates of the two stars, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, have revealed their retirement plans.
Consequently, both Rohit and Kohli will play ODIs under the leadership of Shubman Gill. According to commentators, despite their ambitions to play in the 2027 World Cup, the current circumstances make this unlikely.
While announcing the squad on the 4th of October, the BCCI Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar also noted the uncertainty surrounding Rohit and Virat's participation in the upcoming ICC event, which is scheduled to be hosted by South Africa.
Former Cricketer announces retirement calls of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma
Former Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary has suggested that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli might be considering retiring from international cricket after the Australia tour. He identified that both players may find it difficult to tolerate the unwanted treatment of the greats of the game.
Considering the immense contributions made by the two modern-day veterans, they are being treated not only in an unfair but also in an insulting manner.
“Considering the contributions Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have made to Indian cricket, being treated like this is extremely insulting. I genuinely feel both of them may announce their retirement soon, possibly after the Australia series," Manoj Tiwary said in an interview with CricTracker.
"When someone is appointed captain, the goal is to win matches and series. Rohit Sharma was already delivering consistent results, and the team was performing well, so why was this change necessary?" he added.
Manoj Tiwary discloses dissatisfaction with Virat Kohli's Test retirement
While speaking about the longest format of the game, both the Indian veterans retired from the format ahead of India's tour to England. However, Virat Kohli's retirement had shocked all, as the batter was very close to a milestone of 10000 Test runs, and he could continue to be a major force in the Indian batting order.
Tiwari also discussed Virat’s retirement from Test cricket, attributing it to his dissatisfaction with the team management’s attitude. According to Manoj Tiwari, “When a player, regardless of his stature, feels that the team does not need him or that he is not respected, a person with self-respect and dignity cannot move forward."
"This is why Virat Kohli quietly stepped away from Test cricket—not out of frustration, but out of self-respect," he added.
Even till now, India is only looking for Virat's successor on the Test side. The likes of Sai Sudharsan as well as Karun Nair have been tried to replace him in the Indian playing XI, but they have failed miserably.
Rohit Sharma's record as the skipper of the Indian white-ball side
During Virat Kohli's captaincy stint with the Indian Test side, he led them in 68 matches while winning 40 of those games. Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, has pointed out that he, as a skipper of the Indian side, has been invincible in ICC tournaments.
Rohit Sharma led India to the semi-finals of the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup and the finals of the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup but lost both these games. However, ever since then, Rohit Sharma has led India to two successive ICC titles, as they won the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Rohit Sharma boasts a stunning winning percentage of 75, as he is often known as the 'Hitman.' Having led India in 56 ODIs as their captain, he has secured victories on 42 occasions.
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India National Cricket Team Virat Kohli Australia National Cricket Team India vs Australia Rohit Sharma Manoj Tiwary Australia vs India
