Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli both announced their Test retirements last week. This brought Indian cricket to a standstill with the two senior players calling time on their Test careers at the same time.
With India playing a Test series against England, both the senior players will be unavailable. This has put the Indian think tank and the selectors in a fix.
Virat Kohli did not back out from his retirement call despite the best efforts from the BCCI, while everyone expected Rohit Sharma to call time on his Test career soon. As per reports, the BCCI is likely to announce Shubman Gill as the next Test skipper. However, there are more options for the board with Rishabh Pant in the fray as well.
Also Read: “Defending Myself Is a Waste of Time" - Rohit Sharma Breaks Silence on Criticism
England Will Be Tough Without Kohli, Rohit - Anil Kumble
Meanwhile, former Indian skipper Anil Kumble shared his thoughts on the duo retiring from Test cricket. Talking to ESPN Cricinfo, Kumble said both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli deserved a proper farewell. Previously, Ravichandran Ashwin retired from Test cricket during the Australia series down under.
"Right now, Rohit Sharma a few days ago and then Virat Kohli. I think all three of them deserved a proper send off on the field. I strongly believe people who matter need to address that. I know it is a social media age, yes the fans want to be there, there would have been plenty of fans and have a roaring send off,” said Kumble on ESPNCricinfo.
Kumble further asserted that without the likes of Kohli and Rohit, India will have a big problem in the England Test series. Rohit scored just 31 runs in five innings in his previous Test series against Australia, while Kohli scored 190 runs.
"Rohit has retired, he had been captain for a while and Virat is probably the most accomplished captain for India and you would have wanted one of the guys to be around. England is going to be tough, it is a five-Test... I think it must have come as a surprise to the selectors as well. I'm sure the selectors would have looked to pursue him,” he added.
India Tour Of England 2025 Complete Schedule
1st Test: 20th June – 24th June, Headingley, Leeds
2nd Test: 2nd July – 6th July, Edgbaston, Birmingham
3rd Test: 10th July – 14th July, Lord's, London
4th Test: 23rd July – 27th July, Old Trafford, Manchester
5th Test: 31st July – 4th August, The Oval, London
India's Test series against England starts on June 20, with the BCCI likely to name the squad soon.
