Rohit Sharma And Virat Kohli's Retirement: Have We Seen The Last Of Stars? As They Fade, So Does An Era

The cricketing world witnessed a deeply emotional moment in May 2025 when Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirement from Test cricket. A big question grapples Indian cricket now - who will take up the mantle following the departure of the two cricketing stalwarts?

The cricketing world witnessed a deeply emotional moment in May 2025 when Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirement from Test cricket. They have already retired from T20Is, and now retiring from the Test format marks the end of an extraordinary chapter in Indian cricket history. Fans, experts, and fellow players alike grappled with the realisation that two of India’s greatest had finally hung up their boots.

After having witnessed their journey, the clip of Sunil Gavaskar predicting India's future in the 2012 Asia Cup feels the perfect teaser to their movie-esque careers. While chasing a mammoth score of 330 against India's arch rivals Pakistan, during a match of the Asia Cup 2012, a 25-year-old Mumbai prodigy and a 24-year-old promising batter from Delhi were batting together. One of India's greatest cricketers, Sunil Gavaskar predicted from the commentary box: 'I think we have glimpsed the future, the future of Indian batting, Rahul Dravid has just called it a day, You don't know how long will Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman are gonna be around, but I think that is the glimpse of India's batting future'.

Those two cricketers were Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, and just as Gavaskar had predicted, both went on to score record-breaking runs for the country, bringing glory to the nation with their impeccable performances across the globe. The two colossal figures had a different journey, but what followed was nothing short of greatness. Rohit Sharma announced his arrival in International cricket in the inaugural T20 World Cup 2007, helping India win the trophy with his valuable contributions, including a quick 30 knock in the final against Pakistan that turned out to be the difference. Virat Kohli, on the other hand, was fast-tracked into the team after winning the 2008 U-19 World Cup under his captaincy. Virat was a key part of India's 2011 World Cup win.

Both players grew into being loved figures in Indian cricket, setting numerous records and winning multiple ICC trophies between them. Rohit has three double centuries in ODIs and five T20 International Centuries to his name, and holds the record for the highest individual score in ODIs (264). Kohli dominated all three formats with consistency and passion, becoming the face of Indian cricket for over a decade. Rohit has 49 international centuries while Virat has 82 centuries, just second to Sachin Tendulkar's 100 centuries.

Together, they have contributed to four ICC trophies for India: Rohit with the 2007 T20 World Cup, Kohli with the 2011 ODI World Cup, and the duo jointly with the 2013 and 2025 Champions Trophies and the 2024 T20 World Cup. Their rivalry and camaraderie created one of the most compelling chapters in modern cricket, attracting millions of fans and generating fierce but affectionate debates between their supporters. Amidst the social media nation fighting between Rohitians and Viratians, the two greats decided to retire from both formats together, first from the shortest format of the game during the T20 World Cup in June 2024 and then in May 2025 from the whites.

Balancing Legacy with Reality: Imperfectly Perfect

Their greatness didn't mean that they had no flaws. Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli experienced challenges along the way. Sharma's career was marked by a difficult phase between 2008 and 2013 before he found stability as an opener. Kohli faced form slumps after 2019 and had to work hard to maintain his fitness and consistency. Sharma’s recurring fitness issues and questions over his agility in the field were talking points throughout his career. He even missed some key SENA tours because of it. Kohli, though supremely fit, was often criticised for being overly aggressive, both on and off the field. His captaincy decisions were also criticised, as many didn’t always pay off. His abrupt removal from ODI captaincy also exposed cracks in team management dynamics during his later years.

But human failings endeared them further to their fans; even during times they faced tremendous criticism, their staunch supporters always had their backs. Importantly, their ability to adapt and overcome adversity added to their stature. Just as India draws strength from both Delhi’s boldness and Mumbai’s quiet resilience, Indian cricket has flourished because of both the aggression and grandeur of a Delhi-born Kohli, and the calm, relatable grace of a Mumbaikar like Rohit, steady like the city’s local trains.

While their departure will undoubtedly leave an irreplaceable void, the question that lies with India is, will we ever be able to replace The King and The Hitman?

The Show Must Go On

Cricket experts and former greats of the game believe that nothing is bigger than the game, when even Sachin Tendulkar, who enjoyed a God-like stature among fans, had to retire. A famous ad done by Yuvraj Singh says, 'Till my bat is doing fine, it's all hunky-dowry but when it stops firing then...' The ad is a perfect testament to how everybody, irrespective of greatness, has to leave the game one day. Sports is a reflection of life, and while all great things come to an end, the world makes space for new beginnings and new greatness.

Future Of Indian Cricket: Search For Successors

Unlike the retirement of Sachin Tendulkar, which ushered in the rise of new legends, India today faces uncertainty in filling the void left by Kohli and Sharma. Current talents like Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and others show promise but are yet to consistently reach the heights expected of them.  Meanwhile, IPL 2025, each day, saw a new hero. From Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Vignesh Puthur to Ayush Mhatre and Priyansh Arya, new cricketers grabbed eyeballs this season. But how they will fare in international cricket, only time can tell.

The Indian cricket team now stands at a crossroads. The game demands not only talent but also leaders who can inspire a fragmented fanbase and navigate the commercial complexities of modern cricket. Whether the current crop of players can rise to that challenge remains to be seen. As Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli bow out, the nation celebrates their monumental contributions while anxiously awaiting the emergence of the next generation who will carry forward the legacy. The journey continues, but the era of RO-KO will remain unforgettable.