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'They have said goodbye to the wrong format': Ex-India cricketer's bold take on Rohit, Virat Test retirement
Having bid adieu to the T20Is and the Test cricket, and with the Bangladesh ODI series called off, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are trapped in a period of inactivity. The two haven't indulged in any cricketing action since the culmination of the IPL 2025, leaving fans unsatisfied and eager to see them back on the field.
As ODIs do not take place as regularly as they once used to, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are not expected to don the Indian jersey again before October, when Team India will tour Australia for 5 T20Is and 3 ODIs. Paying heed to the situation of Kohli and Sharma, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has opined that the two exited the wrong format. According to Chopra, Kohli and Sharma should have said goodbye to the ODI format rather than the Tests. It should be noted that both the batters announced their respective retirements from the longest format of the game in May, ahead of the squad selection for the England tour.
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Chopra says Rohit-Virat should have exited ODIs instead of Tests
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra said, 'The truth is that they have said goodbye to the wrong format. They had left T20Is after winning the T20 World Cup, but the story might have been different had they continued to play Tests and said goodbye to ODIs. India played only six ODIs in 12 months before the Champions Trophy."
Chopra puts substance to his opinion by stating that playing 6 Tests in a calendar year offers more exposure of international cricket than 6 ODIs.
'There is a possibility that you might play only six Tests in a year, but even if it is only six Tests, it's 30 days of cricket. If only six ODIs are played, it's just six days of cricket over a period of time. It will be more than 100 days from your last IPL match to the next ODI you will play. You are not playing at all. You are not practising at all," he added.
Chopra also stated that the long gaps between the ODI series make it challenging for the players to maintain form, fitness, and commitment to diet.
'A three-match series gets over in seven to eight days. Then the next one would be after three months. Gaps are just incredibly huge, and you won't play first-class cricket in between. It's true that had they continued playing Test cricket and left ODIs, staying in the groove would have been a lot easier," he said.
Both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma hold an outstanding record in the ODIs. Sharma, who is still the captain of the side, has played 272 matches and has stockpiled 11,168 runs at an average of 48.76. He has notched 32 centuries and 59 fifties in his career, and not to forget, he holds the record of scoring the highest ever individual score, 264, in the history of ODI cricket.
Virat Kohli, on the other hand, is arguably the greatest ever ODI batter. He has amassed 14,181 runs in 302 matches an average of 57.88, with 51 centuries and 74 fifties.
Given the numbers they have produced, it seems like they still have a lot to offer to the 50-over format.
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