Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are two-format players now. Both decided to leave the shortest format of the game after winning the T20 World Cup 2024. And although aged 37 and 36, they aren’t in any mood to retire from the other two formats. Less than a month ago, both won the Champions Trophy 2025.
Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli’s white-ball success
Many expected them to hang up their boots from ODIs, but that didn’t happen. One mustn’t forget that they were coming off from a pretty horrendous last few months, where they lost Test series to New Zealand at home and then Australia away. But they turned it around.
Punjab Kings (PBKS) head coach Ricky Ponting isn’t shocked about this turnabout. Despite being doubted, in the last two years, Kohli and Rohit have made the finals of all three ICC events played and won two of them. The Australian legend isn’t shocked at all that they have found their best again when the team required it the most.
“I have been on record about Virat to say, ‘You can’t write off quality players.’ They’re champions for a reason and always find a way to come good. Different times in the last couple of years, Virat has been able to do that when he is getting in a hole. He is a high-quality player, and maybe Rohit is a bit the same,” Ponting said at Idea Exchange.
Test cricket, tough for Ro-Ko?
However, there is an issue. While both have done so in white-ball cricket in the last 12 months or so. The longest format of the sport is where they have struggled. With the India Test of England coming up, all the focus is on them. Reports even suggest that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will take a call on Rohit Sharma as both captain and player after the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season.
While Kohli’s position isn’t under threat as of now, his record since 2020 hasn’t been good. And of all the SENA countries, it’s England where he has struggled the most. There are six nations where Kohli has played over 5 Tests, and it’s England where his average is the worst, 33.21.
No one can forget that Rohit averaged just 6.20 against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 and had to drop himself midway. All the focus will be on them after the IPL 2025 season ends, and the PBKS head coach also thinks they have a Test issue.
“Test cricket is the thing that is becoming harder for them right now,” Ponting added.
