With talks around India ODI captain Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli’s future in international cricket hitting the roof, several former cricketers have come up to share their opinions on the same.
It is to be noted that the veteran duo retired from T20Is after India’s T20 World Cup triumph in 2024 in the US and Caribbean. Months after their T20I retirement, the senior Indian veterans put down curtains to their Test career in May 2025.
While Rohit Sharma’s decision to put down curtains to his Test career were on since the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Australia, Virat Kohli’s decision came as a surprise. As a result of their Test retirement, the duo did not feature in the recently concluded five-match Test series against England, which ended in a 2-2 draw.
Rohit and Virat’s experience is very important: Suresh Raina on Ro-Ko’s future
While their future has been the biggest talking point, former India cricketer Suresh Raina recently spoke about them, asserting how they should continue playing the ODIs and help nurture and guide the young players. "Rohit and Virat’s experience is very important. It’s crucial for the seniors to stay involved with the juniors. Shubman (Gill) has done really well, but he needs players like Virat and Rohit," Raina told Telecom Asia Sport.
"They have won the Champions Trophy, they have won the World Cups. Virat won the last IPL also. For the astute leadership they have shown during their respective careers, they need to be part of the dressing room," he added. It is to be noted that the duo last played in Indian colours in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan and the UAE.
Although, the veteran duo was set to return to competitive cricket in August for the Bangladesh ODI series, but the series has been rescheduled to September 2026 due to the ongoing political tensions. With this, Rohit-Kohli’s return has also been pushed back to the Australia ODI series, which is scheduled for October 2025.
