Not BCCI, This Cricket Board Set To Give Grand Farewell To Virat Kohli And Rohit Sharma
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Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will not be a part of India's Test series against England, having retired.
The players announced their retirement from Test cricket during the IPL 2025 season.
Cricket Australia are reportedly planning a farewell for Kohli and Rohit during India's ODI tour Down Under.
The notable absentees from India's squad, as they take on England in the upcoming five-match Test series, will be stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The duo announced their retirement from Test cricket recently, during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. While the two were not given any farewell Tests in India itself, Cricket Australia (CA) is potentially planning to give them a grand send-off when India tour Australia for three ODIs and five T20Is later in 2025, given that it could be the last time both players play in Australia.
Australia is bracing itself for a long summer of cricket, with the limited-overs India series set to be followed by the five-Test Ashes against England.
Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg has hinted at special preparations to maximise interest for cricket during that period, and one of them could be a special farewell for Kohli and Rohit.
"For the first time in nearly two decades, Australian cricket will be playing international matches in every single capital city and territory across the entire country. There's a lot of work going into bespoke marketing plans for every game in every city," Greenberg told reporters.
The popularity of cricket in Australia soared with India touring the country for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25, which saw record numbers turn up for events such as the Boxing Day Test.
"I think we saw real momentum last year on the back of the BGT series, some record-breaking ticket sales. And I anticipate that we'll see a number of sellouts across the summer, really starting in August and going through until March. This might be a summer like we've never seen before, just in terms of the amount of content," Greenberg said.
"If you think about the quality of the players coming, particularly from India, this might be the last time we get to see Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma play in our country. If that's the case - who knows, it might not be - but if it is, we want to make sure we give them a great send-off and acknowledge the incredible contribution they've made to international cricket," Greenberg added.
Kohli and Rohit have announced their retirement from both the longest and shortest formats of the game, leaving them active in only ODI cricket, with the 2027 World Cup surely a final aim. The limited-overs series between India and Australia, scheduled to be held in October and November 2025, could well be the last time the two veterans play Down Under. Rohit is 38 years old, while Kohli will be 37 during the series.
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