Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa has again ruffled the topic of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s retirements earlier this year, saying that it didn’t look like a ‘natural exit’ to him, adding that the whole
truth would only be revealed if and when the duo themselves decide to share it.
Rohit and Kohli called off their Test careers within days of each other in May, depriving the team of its two most experienced batters in an instant. While Rohit’s retirement announcement came immediately after reports broke out about the BCCI selectors’ decision to remove him from captaincy before the Test tour of England, Kohli’s was more surprising.
In the latter’s case, some reports said that the BCCI tried to convince Kohli to reconsider the decision, while his coach in the Delhi state team, Sarandeep Singh, even argued that until a few months before the announcement, Kohli was motivated and practicing hard for the England tour.
“I don’t know if it was a forced surrender, but it definitely didn’t seem like a natural exit,” Uthappa said in a video on his YouTube channel. “What the truth is, they themselves will have to share in their own time. But I don’t think it was natural.”
For both of them, the 3-1 series defeat in Australia turned out to be the swan song. Uthappa believes that Rohit’s poor form on that tour wasn’t the reflection of his true game either.
“When Rohit was not scoring runs in Australia, I felt that he should take a break for six months and work on his fitness. I had no doubt in my mind that he would score runs.”
Now, the two veterans are completely focussing on their ODI careers, putting in the hard yards in domestic cricket, too, with the apparent aim to challenge for a spot in the 2027 World Cup squad.
“In both Virat and Rohit, you can see that hunger back in their eyes, which is really cool. It’s endearing to see it from a veteran who’s been there, done that, and achieved so much in international cricket,” Uthappa said.
