Will the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 be the last time Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma play Test cricket for the Indian cricket team? Following their abysmal performance in the home red-ball season, people have started calling for stern action to be taken. Many want them to face the same treatment as Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara, i.e., get dropped.
It’s time for them
But former Indian cricketer Karsan Ghavri suggests something a bit more extreme. He wants Rohit and Kohli to retire if they fail to perform in Australia in the coming months. Ghavri accepts that the two modern greats have done exceptionally well for Team India, but how long should they be rewarded for past excellence? Age is also a factor. If India wants to build a team for the future, they must move beyond the stalwarts in Test cricket if Rohit and Kohli don’t perform in Australia.
In a chat with the Times of India, Ghavri was asked whether the senior pros place in the Test side should be determined on how they perform, he said, “Definitely, 200 percent yes. They need to score big. If they don’t perform, it’s time for them to call a time on their Test careers. If they don’t perform in Australia, Virat and Rohit should retire. They have done a lot for Indian cricket, but the team needs runs to win. We need to build a team for the future. How long will we keep players who aren’t performing?“
A big reason why India lost to New Zealand was their poor batting. Barring Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, no Indian batter really inspired confidence throughout the series. Naturally, as the biggest names, the responsibility for the loss falls upon Rohit and Kohli the most.
Aiming for a hat-trick of series wins Down Under, Team India’s performance doesn’t really inspire much confidence. When things don’t go your team’s way, usually the senior pros make the way for youngsters. It happened with Rahane and Pujara not too long ago, and despite their stature, it could very well happen to Kohli and Rohit after the BGT 2024-25.
Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma vs Bangladesh & New Zealand
| Inns | Runs | Avg | 50 & 100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma | 10 | 133 | 13.30 | 1 & 0 |
| Virat Kohli | 10 | 192 | 21.33 | 1 & 0 |
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