When it comes to showing the dedication for Tests, there is no better example than Ben Stokes. The England captain has never refrained from overlooking lucrative T20 deals in order to prepare for the longest format of the game. Be it the Ashes or the World Test Championship (WTC), Stokes has set a benchmark which should ideally inspire the current generation. To be specific, it should have inspired the veteran duo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
But that doesn’t seem to be the case with Team India. Despite enduring a poor run in their last series against Australia, Rohit and Virat are very much interested in playing in IPL 2025 rather than preparing for the five-match Test series against England. The tour commences on June 20, just 25 days after the conclusion of the richest T20 league in the world.
Should Ro-Ko have pulled out of IPL 2025?
For India, winning the WTC is still a dream. Despite making it to two consecutive finals, the Men in Blue have fallen short of laying their hands on the silverware. Their next best chance at getting the mace will begin with the England series in June. And Rohit and Virat will have an important role in it.
Ro-Ko-s form in Tests has been a point of concern. Their lean run in the longest format of the game began in the latter half of 2024 from the series against Bangladesh and went on till the end of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. While Kohli did manage to get one century in Australia, much unlike himself in Down Under, he had, or rather still has another demon to deal with – the outside off stump problem.
As for Rohit, he managed to get a lifeline by leading India to victory in Champions Trophy. That allowed him to secure the backing of the BCCI to stay on as captain for England tour. But will that solve the problems for Rohit as batter? The answer is simply no.
| Player | Matches | Runs | Average | 100s | 50s |
| Rohit Sharma | 14 | 619 | 24.76 | 2 | 2 |
| Virat Kohli | 11 | 440 | 24.52 | 1 | 1 |
While IPL 2025 will surely give some much-needed game time for the duo of Ro-Ko, it surely won’t be easy for them to switch to the red-ball format. As mentioned earlier, there is only a 25-day gap between IPL and the IND vs ENG Test series. What could have been a wise move is if both the stars decided to pull out of IPL 2025 and instead devote their time to hone their red-ball skills.
Missed County opportunity?
Both Rohit and Kohli could have easily signed up with County clubs to prepare for the England tour instead of playing in the IPL. They have retired from T20Is already. So playing in the IPL 2025 is more of a financial gain than anything else for the two. In the past, many Indian cricketers, including Rahane, Pujara, Chahal, Karun Nair, Prithvi Shaw among others have played in the County Championships. While none of them have made it to the Indian team despite their County participation, the learnings cannot be ignored.
Since both Kohli and Rohit are hell bent on continuing their Test career, it would have made all the sense for them to take part in England’s domestic tourney. The next round of County Championships (both division one and two) will run parallelly with IPL 2025. It could have been a good preparation ground for Rohit and Kohli before the England series.
It remains to be seen how well the IPL 2025 will aid the veteran duo in preparing for the red-ball series. The next WTC cycle is probably the last chance for Rohit and Kohli to try and add the elusive mace to their cabinet.
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