It’s been over two months since Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma stunned fans by announcing their retirement from Test cricket.
The timing surprised many as it came just before the Indian squad was revealed for the England series. With that, two of India’s biggest names in red-ball cricket walked away from the format quietly.
Their exits immediately sparked debates, with whispers suggesting the decision may have been nudged by the BCCI amid India’s recent poor Test run.
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However, BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla has now come forward to shut down the rumours. According to him, both players made their decision independently, and the board did not play any role in pushing them toward retirement.
Did the BCCI force Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to retire?
One of the major talking points after their retirement was whether the move was prompted by the board. India had just gone through a rough patch with a Test series loss at home to New Zealand, followed by losing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia after more than ten years.
Naturally, fans questioned if the BCCI wanted a fresh start by backing younger players. But Rajeev Shukla made it clear that the board never interferes in such matters.
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"I want to make it very clear once and for all. We all feel Rohit and Virat's absence, but they took the decision on their own. BCCI has a policy of never telling any player when to retire and from which format," said Shuka in an interaction with ANI.
While they’ve called time on their red-ball careers, Shukla confirmed that both Kohli and Rohit remain available for ODI cricket.
"This is on the player. This was their own decision. They took retirement on their own. We will always miss them. We consider them great batters. The good thing is they are available in ODIs," he added
That’s some relief for fans, especially with India scheduled to play Australia in a one-day series starting from October 19. As of now, it’s uncertain when they will return to action, especially with the Bangladesh tour cancelled.
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Talks are ongoing about a possible Sri Lanka tour in August, featuring three ODIs and three T20Is, but there's no official confirmation yet.