Former legendary Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has commented on the retirement of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, saying that their departure from Test cricket has created a void. Notably, within just five days, both Indian team captain Rohit Sharma and former captain Virat Kohli bid farewell to Test cricket. After Rohit Sharma’s retirement, the biggest question is who will become the new captain of Team India.
Speaking on his YouTube show ‘Ash Ki Baat’, Ashwin said, “I didn’t know both (Rohit and Kohli) would retire together. This will be a testing time for Indian cricket, and I would say this is truly the beginning of the Gautam Gambhir era. The team that will tour England will be a completely new side, a changed team where Bumrah will probably be the most senior player. He is clearly one of the options for captaincy; I think he deserves to be captain, but the selectors will make the decision based on his physical fitness.”
Ashwin further added, “Their retirement will certainly create a leadership vacuum. You can’t buy experience, especially on such tours. The absence of Virat’s energy and Rohit’s patience will be deeply felt.”
Despite Bumrah being vice-captain during the Australia tour earlier this year, Shubman Gill is currently seen as the front-runner to replace Rohit. Bumrah was the stand-in captain during the victory in the Perth Test, and when Rohit missed the fifth Test in Sydney, Bumrah once again led the team. Considering recent injury concerns, whether Bumrah should be made captain hinges on managing his workload. He suffered a back issue during the Sydney Test and subsequently missed the home Test series against England, the Champions Trophy, and the beginning of IPL 2025.
Reflecting on the timing of Rohit and Kohli’s retirement, Ashwin said he believes both players still had more to offer. “I honestly believe Kohli definitely had a year or two left in Test cricket,” Ashwin said. “As for Rohit, I felt he should have at least played till the England Test series, especially because the team lacks leadership.”
Ashwin further said, “In the last 10–12 years, Test cricket has been India’s best format, and just for the sake of captaincy, Rohit should have played the England series. If he had performed well, he could have continued and provided more leadership.”
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