Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket last month, sending shockwaves through the world of cricket. The veteran batter Virat Kohli‘s retirement came shortly after his skipper Rohit Sharma had made a similar decision, and just ahead of the BCCI’s squad announcement for the five-match England series.
Virat Kohli has announced his retirement from Test cricket, bringing the curtain down on a career that spanned 14 years and included 123 Tests – 68 of them as captain – in which he scored 9230 runs at an average of 46.85. Virat Kohli had communicated his desire to retire from Test cricket to the BCCI ahead of the big five-match series in England starting June 20, for which he was expected to be part of the squad. It was learnt at the time that Kohli had been having conversations on the matter with officials of the BCCI for the past month or so.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, two of the greatest cricketers of the modern era, continue to be at the heart of discussions around Indian cricket’s future. As they move into the later stages of their careers, questions arise about how long they will remain central to India’s ODI setup and whether they can still be part of the 2027 World Cup campaign.
At present, both Kohli and Rohit remain vital to India’s ODI team. Kohli is still the team’s most dependable batter in run-chases, often anchoring innings under pressure, while Rohit provides India with fearless starts at the top. Even though both have stepped away from T20Is, their ODI contributions continue to be unmatched. Former BCCI selector Kris Srikkanth has slammed the management and BCCI selectors for miscommunication with Virat and Rohit ahead of English series 2025.
“Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retirement was due to mis-communication”-exclaims Kris Srikkanth before English series 2025
Former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth slammed the BCCI for not clearly communicating with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma regarding their Test retirements. Virat Kohli and Rohit’s sudden decisions in May sent shockwaves through the cricketing world, as the duo was believed to be travelling to England for the five-match Test series.
They even complied with the BCCI’s directive to play a Ranji Trophy match after the Australia tour, but in the middle of the IPL, Rohit Sharma unexpectedly announced his Test retirement through an Instagram story. Just five days later, Virat Kohli followed suit, declaring the end of his Test career in the same manner. The sudden exits of India’s two modern greats – without a farewell Test – have sparked speculation among former cricketers about deeper, underlying reasons.
Former India opener Krishnamachari Srikkanth has given a massive statement regarding the Test retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Both of the players brought down curtains on their Test careers with surprising announcements.
Their decision to hang up the boots from the format came in May this year, just before India could announce the squad for the England Test series that followed. Srikkanth claimed that there was a big communication gap between the board and the players when they retired. He added that both Rohit and Kohli should have been given a fitting farewell.
That debate has only intensified with Cheteshwar Pujara’s recent retirement, once again raising questions over why Indian stalwarts are being denied proper send-offs. Srikkanth voiced his disappointment at the way Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s retirements were managed, emphasising that players of their stature deserved transparent communication and a dignified farewell.
“If you play 100 Tests for your country, you must be a terrific cricketer. So you should be given a good send-off. I am convinced there was a big communication gap when Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired. They should have spoken to them, but instead, this is not a good look for the game and Indian cricket,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
Srikkanth, a former BCCI chief selector himself, stressed how Kohli still had at least two years of Test cricket left and should have received a better send-off.
“Virat Kohli’s retirement happened just like that. Virat Kohli deserved a better send-off. He still had two years of Test cricket left in him. But because we drew in England, such talks about him got shut off. However, India will find it difficult to get a cricketer like Virat Kohli for some time,” he concluded.
Virat Kohli’s Test journey stretched across 14 years and 123 matches, where he amassed 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85. With 30 centuries, including seven double tons, Virat Kohli cemented his legacy as one of India’s greatest Test batters, although he retired 770 short of completing 10,000 runs.
Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma, who struggled during the 2024-25 season, finished his career with 4,301 runs in 67 Tests, an average of 40.57, with 12 centuries. Rohit Sharma replaced Virat Kohli as captain in March 2022 and guided India to 12 wins, nine losses and three draws, while scoring 1,254 runs during that time.
With Rohit and Virat Kohli now out of both T20Is and Tests, their focus has shifted to ODIs. The duo will next be seen in action in the three-match ODI series against Australia beginning October 19. Their last international appearance came in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where India ended a 12-year drought by clinching the title against New Zealand at the Dubai International Stadium.
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