BCCI breaks silence on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s Test retirement: ‘Our policy is to never tell any player…’

BCCI breaks silence on Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma's Test retirement

Two legends of the game and icons of Indian cricket — Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli — retired from Test cricket this year. Their decision came as a shock, as no one expected them to call time on their red-ball careers without a farewell match or one final tour of England. While both had been struggling to score runs as freely as they once did, they were still expected to feature in the crucial Test series against England.

India hasn’t won a Test series in England since 2007, and both Rohit and Kohli were seen as key figures who could have played a pivotal role in rewriting that history.

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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently broke its silence on the unexpected retirements of these two stalwarts. BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla addressed speculation that the board may have forced them out, firmly stating that it is not BCCI’s policy to tell players when to retire.

“I want to make it very clear once and for all. We are all feeling the absence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The decision to retire was made by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli on their own. It is the policy of BCCI that we never tell any player to retire. It was their call,” Shukla told ANI.

“They have taken retirement on their own. We will always them. We will always consider them as legendary batters. It's very good for us that both of them are available for ODIs,” he added.

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Illustrious legacy
Inspiring intensity
Incredible icon

The Former #TeamIndia Captain gave it all to Test Cricket

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Thank you for the memories in whites, Virat Kohli #ViratKohli | @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/febCkcFhoC

— BCCI (@BCCI) May 12, 2025

How India are doing without Ro-Ko?

A young Indian side, captained by Shubman Gill, is turning heads in England despite missing senior pros like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin. Many had predicted a one-sided affair in favour of the Ben Stokes-led England team, but Gill’s spirited squad has proven to be anything but pushovers.

Although India trails 1-2 in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, they’ve arguably had the upper hand across more sessions than the hosts. The team’s resilience and ability to compete have been on full display throughout the series.

The third Test at Lord’s was a nail-biter. England clinched a narrow 22-run victory, but only after a tense battle that saw India come agonizingly close, thanks to fighting performances from Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj.

With the series still alive, all eyes now turn to the fourth Test, set to begin on Wednesday, July 23, in Manchester. Another thrilling chapter awaits.