"Did Kohli, Rohit Retire?" BCCI Angry On Request For Sachin-like Farewell

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's absence from the cricket field continues to be a widely-discussed topic on social media. The duo have retired from T20Is and Tests, and the ODI is the only format they continue to be active in. However, after the Champions Trophy in February, India's next ODI assignment is against Australia in October. This means Kohli and Rohit will not be seen in action for the Indian cricket team very soon. Some reports have claimed that the series might be one of the last that the duo plays, since the next big ODI event, the 2027 ODI World Cup, is close to two years away.

In the midst of this, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla was asked in a podcast for a farewell series for Rohit and Virat, just as Sachin Tendulkar received one in 2013 with a Test series against the West Indies. Shukla gave a rather aggressive answer.

"Woh retire kaha hue (When did they retire)? Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will both play one-dayers. So, if they are playing, why are you worried about a farewell series? Yes, they have retired from two formats in phases, but they are playing in ODIs, right? No need to overthink about it," Shukla said on the podcast on the sidelines of the UPT20.

"Our policy at BCCI is very clear. We don't tell any player to retire. A player himself makes that call. He has to decide, and we respect that. We can only decide something when it's official. Virat Kohli is extremely fit, and Rohit Sharma has been playing so well. Why are you worried about the farewell?"

Some reports have claimed that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma need to play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy to enhance their chances. In the midst of this, former India opener Aakash Chopra has said that it's all “bogus talk.”

"The chatter about playing the Vijay Hazare Trophy — the tournament will happen in November-December. What's the point? There are nine ODIs for India until the next IPL (3 vs Australia in October, 3 vs South Africa in November, and 3 against New Zealand in January 2026). That's about it — just nine days of cricket action for you. That would be over 100 days since you played an IPL match and the next ODI you play. You're not playing at all. You're not practicing," Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

"A three-match series gets over in seven to eight days. Then the next one would be after three months. The gaps are just incredibly huge, and you won't play first-class cricket in between. It's true that had they continued playing Test cricket and left ODIs, staying in the groove would have been a lot easier.

"Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli don't have to play the Vijay Hazare Trophy — they wouldn't be selected based on their performance in the tournament, let's be honest about this. It's bogus talk. If they had played Tests and left ODIs, staying in the groove would have been easier.

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