The retirement of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in Test cricket has emerged as a major talking point of discussion after the duo’s recent performances during the tour of Australia. While it is now quite apparent that Rohit may quit Test cricket at the end of the tour, the same is not so certain for Kohli. Former India cricketer Atul Wassan feels that BCCI needs to work out an exit strategy for the two big guns.
The 36-year-old Kohli has struggled to get back to his prolific self in Test cricket. While he has already retired from T20 Internationals, his Test career is hanging by a thread. According to Wassan, though the best of Kohli may still be ahead, the team management should prepare for succession.
“Virat has run his scores but knows what’s going on. The players sometimes think that it is just ahead, but such spells of long-term poor performances actually hurt the team,” said Wassan during an interview with ANI while emphasizing that in case there being no obvious policy of letting him go the injustice may haunt the team along with its arrangement.
Retirement looms as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma fail to perform in Tests
Outside the off-stump, Kohli has been vulnerable during the Australia series. Although he showed some restraint in the first innings of the Melbourne Test, where he scored 36 runs, he again fell to wide deliveries in both innings. With the Sydney Test being the last game of the series, another failure may force him to reassess his future in red-ball cricket, as emerging players continue to impress.
Rohit Sharma seems closer to the end of his Test career. He hasn’t been inspiring enough in performances, and his retirement looks likely with the completion of the Australia tour.
The cricketing giants of India are entering the twilight years of their careers, and attention shifts to BCCI plans to groom successors for the team’s sustained success.
Also, see: End of Rohit Sharma in Tests? Ravi Shastri speaks on retirement rumours