Ashwin surprised by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's back-to-back Test retirements

The retirement of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from the red-ball format has become a major topic of discussion among the masses. Legendary spin-bowling all-rounder and former teammate Ravichandran Ashwin also shared his opinion regarding the retirement of the two modern-day greats.

The 2011 World Cup winner spoke about the decision taken by the legendary batters. Ashwin said he did not expect Virat and Rohit to retire back-to-back. The 38-year-old off-spinner mentioned that Rohit could have reached the milestone of 100 Test matches if it wasn’t for the injury he suffered ahead of his intended debut against South Africa in 2008. Ashwin seemed more surprised about Virat’s retirement, as he believed the former captain had a couple more years of red-ball cricket left in him.

“I retired in Australia, and I did not expect these two to retire back-to-back. Did Rohit (Sharma) have the pedigree to play 100 Tests? He must have. I believe that the time he missed, those 4–5 years before his debut due to that injury, he was unable to play those extra 30–40 Test matches," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

“A small question arises in my mind regarding Kohli's decision. Maybe he had one or two more years left in him? Are his energy levels a reason for that? Maybe he must be thinking that he does not have the mental capacity anymore. Even when not playing personally, his energy at mid-wicket or short cover is there in the team," the Tamil Nadu-born cricketer added.

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Three legends play their final game in Australia

The last game for three of these legendary players was in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024–25, which was played in Australia. Ashwin was the first to announce his retirement. He played his last game at the Adelaide Oval and announced his decision during the press conference after the third Test, which was held at the Gabba in Brisbane.

Rohit Sharma played the Boxing Day Test at the MCG in Melbourne and withdrew himself from the playing XI for the final Test in Sydney, which turned out to be the last Test match for Virat Kohli. The series ended in Australia’s favour, as they reclaimed the BGT title after 10 years, winning the series by a margin of 3–1.