Rohit Sharma, 38, and Virat Kohli, 36, recently stepped away from Test cricket. The reason? They didn’t have many years left in the format, according to Paras Mhambrey, who was a part of Team India’s T20 World Cup-winning coaching staff.
The former India bowling coach said, while Kohli’s fitness remains top-class, both players understood it was the right time to move on. In a country like India, where young batting talent is never in short supply, it was the right decision, he said.
In May 2025, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirements from Test cricket. Before that, in June 2024, they announced their T20I retirement. Within a year, two cricket legends of the modern era stopped playing in two formats.
In an interview with Hindustan Times, Paras Mhambrey said that both Rohit and Kohli had given everything on the field. However, once they felt they couldn’t offer 100%, they made a selfless decision to step back, he added.
“Virat didn’t have five years of test cricket left in him. You knew that, right? Their individual battles that they fought, they must have realised that it was time,” Mhambrey told HT.
“They always say how valuable they could be in their contribution. And, sometimes, it’s the motivation bit. Maybe they were not as motivated to play that format,” he said.
“They’ll not be able to give their best to that format. That’s the way they approach. So, very selfless approach, both of them,” Mhambrey added.
Will Virat Kohli return to Test cricket?
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke earlier said on the Beyond23 podcast that Virat Kohli’s return to Test cricket was possible. But, there is a condition.
“If India go to England and get flogged, if they lose the series 5-0, for example, I think the fans will want Virat Kohli to come out of retirement and play Test cricket again,” Clarke said.
“I think if he was asked by captain, selectors and supported by fans, if they get beaten big time in England, I think he’ll come. He still loves Test cricket,” he added.
Ahead of the IPL 2025 final, IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal earlier worried Virat Kohli might retire if RCB won the IPL trophy. Praising Kohli’s fitness, Dhumal said he was even fitter than he was in the first season. He urged Kohli to keep playing IPL and reconsider his Test retirement.
“I want Virat to continue playing even after RCB wins the trophy. The whole country would want Virat to continue, and I would want him to reconsider his decision to retire from Test Cricket,” he said.
