Is the ICC Champions Trophy the last hurrah for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli? Will the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) signal the modern greats to end their careers now or be left behind? Have Ro-Ko played their final Test match for the India cricket team, and will their last ODI/match be in Dubai?
Team India in transition
While not in this form, a question regarding transition in Team India was posed to Ajit Agarkar. Sitting alongside Rohit Sharma to announce the squad for the ICC Champions Trophy, the BCCI chairman of selectors was asked ‘the question.’ Will the 8-team tournament be the end of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the Men in Blue jersey?
Agarkar didn’t shy away from the fact that a transition is in place, perhaps more so in Test cricket. Cheteshwar Pujara, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, and Ajinkya Rahane have been left behind while Ravichandran Ashwin has retired. Father time seems to be calling the batting greats as well.
Where do Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli stand?
The former all-rounder stated that there are no talks of transition yet. But the BCCI will discuss the future of not just Rohit and Kohli but probably other players like Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami as well.
“It’s a month away from the Champions Trophy. These guys (Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli) have been exceptional performers in one-day cricket… We’ll see once the Champions Trophy is done; we’ve got a bit more time to sit and assess where everyone is,” said Agarkar.
More on Cricket
- MI Cape Town win SA20 2025 by 76-runs, ends dominance of Sunrisers Eastern Cape
- CCL 2025: Check out Celebrity Cricket League points table
- CCL 2025: Full schedule of Celebrity Cricket League for February 9
Careers depend on ICC Champions Trophy outcome
In the broader sense, the focus will also be on where Indian cricket stands at the moment. Coming from a high of winning the T20 World Cup, Team India’s home Test dominance was ended by New Zealand after 12 years, which resulted in a first-ever whitewash in 92 years. Then, for the first time in a decade, Australia gained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
What happens next may depend on the outcome of the ICC Champions Trophy. A title run might extend some careers, but an exit before the semifinal might just end them. “Not just one of the players but where we go forward. But at the moment, the focus is on one-day cricket and the Champions Trophy,” Agarkar added.
