The retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from Test cricket have been the subject of considerable debate. The timing of their announcements, just before the England tour, raised eyebrows. Karsan Ghavri, a former Indian fast bowler, has made a bold claim that the retirements were not entirely voluntary but stemmed from internal politics within the BCCI and the selection committee.
Ghavri believes Kohli could have continued in Test cricket for an additional two years. He also questioned why one of India’s best cricketers did not receive a proper farewell. On the Vicky Lalwani show, when asked about Kohli’s sudden retirement, Ghavri said, ‘It’s a mystery. Kohli should have played for India, perhaps for a few more years. But I think something forced him to retire. When he retired, the BCCI didn’t even give him a farewell.’
Ghavri also stated that both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were affected by the internal politics within the Indian team management. ‘It’s the internal politics of the BCCI that is hard to understand. I think that is why they retired early. Even Rohit Sharma retired early. He was told to leave. It is not that they wanted to leave; they wanted to stay. However, the selectors and BCCI had different perspectives. This is a matter of petty politics,’ Ghavri said.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from the T20I format after the 2024 T20 World Cup and from Test cricket earlier this year, and now only participate in the ODI format. Reports suggest the upcoming ODI series in Australia this October could be their last tour. No official announcement has been made on this.