Yesterday, India’s celebration following the announcement of the Ceasefire was tinged with sadness as Virat Kohli announced his much-speculated retirement from Test cricket. Perhaps he, too, was waiting for a moment when his fans were mentally at peace. Just last week, Rohit Sharma drew curtains on his own Test career—creating a déjà vu moment for Indian cricket fans as both legends stepped away from one format of the game within days of each other. The earlier departure came during India’s victorious T20 World Cup campaign last year. It now seems almost certain that both will hang up their boots in ODIs after the 2027 World Cup. Destiny? You could say so.
As I write this, I reflect on an article I penned in 2011 when the then-Test legends of Indian cricket were retiring or nearing retirement—stalwarts like Sachin, Dravid, Laxman, and Sehwag. The fan in me was disheartened; these were massive shoes to fill. Following two whitewashes in Australia and England that year, Test match defeats felt like heartbreak. It seemed things couldn’t get any worse. But they got better—and how!
Much of the credit goes to Kohli. Of the many tributes I read yesterday, one by Greg Chappell (yes, the Greg Chappell!) stood out. He described Kohli as a “non-Australian with the Australian spirit” in how he approached cricket. Kohli’s aggressive mindset helped shift India’s focus from survival to domination—especially in overseas Tests. The fact that he is India’s most successful Test captain is a testament to this transformation. It’s no surprise he commands great respect in Australia.
Rohit Sharma, who debuted internationally four years before Kohli, didn’t find his place in Test cricket until he was asked to open the innings—an opportunity he seized, much like his ODI breakthrough. However, that ODI turning point came much earlier in his career. So, we don’t have as many Test memories of Rohit. Still, he played a crucial role as captain across all formats, succeeding Kohli with a calmer, more inclusive approach. A captain is judged by trophies—and Rohit delivered what Kohli couldn’t.
In India, cricketers are idolised, almost revered as superstars. Yet with the explosion of T20 cricket, the stardom culture has diluted—much like what we’ve seen in Bollywood. That’s what makes the Kohli-Rohit duo special. For over a decade, they’ve been the core of India’s cricketing rise—a legacy built upon the foundations laid by Sachin, Ganguly, and Dhoni.
They both command massive fan bases, ones that future cricketers may find hard to match. While we’d love to see them play forever, we must respect their decisions to move on—and cherish the months or years of cricket they still have left for us.
jammywrites.com 