Cricket Australia plots 'send off' for Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma; fuels 'end of era' emotions: 'Might be last time...'
Having retired from the T20Is last year and the Tests last month, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will next be seen in action during the month of August, for the tour of Bangladesh for a three-match series, with the contest still uncertain, followed by travel to Down Under in October for a three-match series against Australia.
With the ODI retirement looming large, which will mark the 'end of an era', Cricket Australia are already planning a farewell ceremony for Kohli and Rohit, reckoning it might be their last tour of Australia. It has been largely speculated that the two senior batters will end their international career after the 2027 ODI World Cup.
"This might be the last time that we get to see Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma play in our country. And if that is the case, who knows, it might not be, but if it is, we wanna make sure we give them a great send-off and a reflection of the incredible contribution they've made to international cricket," Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg said.
Cricket Australia will also use the opportunity of the India series to continue persuading the BCCI to allow Indian players to participate in the Big Bash League. The Indian board has a strict policy of not allowing contracted players to feature in overseas leagues, unless they cut all ties with the BCCI.
"That's certainly some conversations that we will continue to have with the BCCI. I mean, I would love to see, Virat Kohli playing in the BBL this year. That would certainly create some interest in crowds and ratings, I'm sure. But at the moment, that's not happening, but we do have our ambitions to do those types of things. And as you're seeing all over the world, t 20 leagues are going down a lot of the private investment opportunities.
We're seeing that in England recently with the hundred. A number of the IPL franchises are now taking ownership stakes in the hundred. We've got to continue to evolve and innovate the way we run our business here in Australia and making sure that we have an open mind to new things. But the short answer to that question is if we could find opportunities for Indian cricketers, either retired, recently retired, or current players to play in the BBL, they'd be very welcome, and it's a conversation we'll continue to have," Greenberg said.
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