
Rajeev Shukla rubbishes Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma's retirement rumors
What's the story
BCCI vice-captain Rajeev Shukla has quashed rumors of veteran batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retiring after the upcoming Australia series. Speaking to ANI, Shukla praised India's recent West Indies series win and emphasized the importance of both players in the ODI squad. The speculation had intensified after Shubman Gill replaced Rohit Sharma as captain in ODI cricket. Here are further details.
Player importance
'Great batsmen, need them in ODI squad'
Shukla highlighted the significance of having both Kohli and Rohit in the ODI squad, calling them "great batsmen." He said their presence would be instrumental in India's success against Australia. The BCCI vice-president also dismissed rumors about this being their last series, saying it is completely wrong to make such claims. He added that retirement decisions are solely up to the players themselves.
Comeback
Kohli, Rohit have retired from Tests and T20Is
Kohli and Rohit have already retired from Test and T20I formats. They will be returning for the Australia series after a long break, having last played in the ICC Champions Trophy final this year, which India won. The two players are vying for the 2027 ICC World Cup spots, but the dream remains far-fetched. Gautam Gambhir, the Indian head coach, recently stated, "The World Cup is still two and a half years away. It's important to stay in the present."
Leadership change
Shubman Gill to lead India in Australia
Earlier this month, Gill replaced Rohit as India's ODI captain for the Australia tour. Shreyas Iyer will be Gill's deputy. India's ODI squad: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wicket-keeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (wicket-keeper), and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Information
Concerns over their roles
There have been speculations of both Rohit and Kohli retiring before the 2027 ODI World Cup. With limited ODIs scheduled until the tournament, there are concerns over the duo's participation. Moreover, both Rohit and Kohli will be touching 40 by the next World Cup.