The former Indian captain and a premier all-rounder of the country, Kapil Dev, has shown his concerns towards Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, both of whom, according to him, could take an early retirement from international cricket soon, given they have passed their prime. Both these veterans put the curtains down from the shortest format of the game at the end of the T20 World Cup 2024.
Under Rohit, India went on to win their second title in the 20-over tournament, while Virat Kohli earned the ‘Player of the Match’ award in the final of the competition for his incredible batting. Both of them, currently, are focused on the upcoming ten Test matches in the next four months for India.
At the end of that, the Blue Brigade will participate in the upcoming edition of the Champions Trophy 2025, which is, for now, scheduled in Pakistan. There is no confirmation whether both of these giants of Indian cricket will continue till the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Kapil Dev reveals dates of retirement for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma
Since the start of the ODI World Cup, both of these batters have been in supreme touch. Undoubtedly, Virat Kohli’s performance has gone down but, that’s only in the longest format of the game. Still, it was just a few months ago when he smashed an incredible half-century in the second innings of the Centurion Test in South Africa, where the rest of the batting department was suffering.
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The current ODI and Test captain of the Indian side was the second-highest run-getter of the 50-over World Cup at home last year, thanks to his 597 runs in 11 innings at an average of 54.27 and a strike rate of over 125, with the help of three half-centuries and one century.
The Nagpur-born was also the second leading run-scorer of the T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and United States of America (USA) as he collected 257 runs in eight innings at an average of 36.71 and a strike rate of 156.70, celebrating three half-centuries with a best score of 92 runs.
Virat Kohli finished the ODI World Cup 2023 as the highest run-scorer with 765 runs in 11 innings at an average of 95.62 and a strike rate of 90.31 with the help of six half-centuries and three centuries. There is no question about his fitness level in the modern era of the game.
However, Kapil Dev, who retired at the age of 35 from international cricket, believes that once a player crosses 34 years of age, his future only depends on how his body holds up during the period.
“In my opinion, the period between 26 and 34 years is your prime, and thereafter, the fitness of the players will ensure their longevity.” The former World Cup-winning captain was quoted as saying on MyKhel.
When it comes to the international record of both these players, Virat Kohli is the fourth highest run-getter with 26965 runs in 534 games at an average of 53.18 with a strike rate of nearly 80 with the help of 80 centuries and 140 half-centuries at a best score unbeaten 254 runs.
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“Ravi Shastri retired at a very early age while Sachin Tendulkar had a longer stint. So it is completely up to the individual to decide their ways of life. My way of thinking is to stay fit and keep playing as long as you are enjoying the game.” Dev remarked.
Sachin Tendulkar played till 40, while the other World Cup-winning Indian captain was in action for the Blue Brigade till 39. It takes a lot out of the body, and it also should be upon the individuals to decide when they want to call their time over.