Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s retirement from Test cricket has sparked intense discussion, with former India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey offering a candid assessment of their decision.
The retirement of two of India’s modern greats, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, within five days of each other has left a void in Indian Test cricket. Rohit Sharma, at 38, announced his retirement in May and was followed by Virat Kohli, 36, a few days later. Between them, India lost nearly 200 Tests of experience.
While emotions ran high among fans, Mhambrey offered a blunt reality check. In an interview with Hindustan Times, he said, “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 stressed that both Kohli and Rohit have always played with full intensity, but once they felt they couldn’t give 100% to Test cricket anymore, they decided to step away. “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. They’ll not be able to give their best to that format. And that’s the way they approach. So very selfless approach, both of them,” he added.
“Virat didn’t have five years of Test cricket left in him. You knew that, right?” – Paras Chambray (via Hindustan TImes).
Virat Kohli, who made his Test debut in 2011 against West Indies, retires with 113 Tests, over 8,900 runs, 29 centuries, and 30 fifties, averaging 49.29. His peak came between 2016 and 2018, averaging above 75, with a record streak of four double centuries in consecutive series.
However, in recent years, his form dipped sharply, exposing weaknesses outside the off-stump and causing a significant decline in centuries. In his last 36 Test matches, Kohli averaged just 31.86 with three hundreds. The Australian tour, which turned out to be his final Test series, was brutal. Kohli finished five Test matches with 440 runs, averaging 23.15. Despite a fighting unbeaten hundred in the series, Kohli’s issues outside off-stump were too glaring to be ignored anymore. Right before that, he had finished a torrid time in the home series against New Zealand, averaging 15.5.
Rohit Sharma’s Test career followed a different arc. After debuting with two hundreds in his first series in 2013, he struggled for consistency in the middle order. It was only after shifting to the opening role in 2019 — under Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri’s leadership — that he cemented his place.
However, the past 12 months were challenging. A poor run of form against New Zealand and Australia saw Rohit even drop himself for the Sydney Test. As the England tour approached, selectors informed him they were looking at a new captain. In an interview with Star Sports, Rohit admitted that while he still felt capable of contributing, his motivation to endure the grind of Test cricket was no longer the same.
Mhambrey explained further: “Sometimes you are not in the frame of mind to go through the grind. If I’m not there 100%, I would rather just be honest and say that, I’m good in one format. Let me focus on the other format, which I can be more useful for the team.”
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With Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin (who retired earlier during the Australia tour) stepping away from Tests in quick succession, India faces a significant leadership and experience gap.
Mhambrey acknowledged the magnitude of their absence: “It’s sad and unfortunate that both have quit in a very, very close duration… But, yeah, that’s the reality of this format. They have made a decision, and you respect that for the reasons, knowing that they’ve gone about it very selflessly. But, yeah, there are three of them, I would say. We’ll miss Ash, man, I’m telling you. All three of them.”
As India looks to the future, younger talents will need to step up in a Test arena that Kohli, Rohit, and Ashwin once dominated.
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