Did anyone force Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma to retire from Tests? BCCI VP opens up

After the conclusion of the third Test in London, the Indian men’s and women’s cricket teams met King Charles III at St. James’ Palace in London on Tuesday, July 15. BCCI vice-president Rajeet Shukla also marked his presence with both the Indian teams.

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After the conclusion of the meeting, Shukla was asked about Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s Test retirement. Speaking on the same, he stated that the veteran duo made the decision themselves and no one forced them to do so.

"They have retired themselves. We will always miss them, they are both great batsmen, and the good thing for us is that they are available for ODIs," Rajeev Shukla said.

Interestingly, the veteran Indian duo announced their retirement from Test cricket just before the start of the England tour. Before that, India suffered a home Test series defeat to New Zealand by 0-3. Later, they lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy by 1-3 Down Under.

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Though the duo retired from the longest format of the game, Shukla assured that they will be available for selection in the 50-over format with the ICC ODI World Cup, scheduled to take place in 2027.

Furthermore, Shukla stated that both Indian teams met King Charles III at the palace, interacted with them, and asked them a few questions about their recent matches and also queried about Akash Deep’s sister’s battle with cancer.

"It was a very historic occasion that both our men's and women's teams were invited today by King Charles and met them very well in the Palace. Players are very happy because he asked all personal details of each player,” Shukla added. 

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“He also asked about Akash Deep's sister's illness. He had found out so many details. He sounded like a gentleman, and it did not seem we were talking to the King of England. There is a lot of humility in him and team is very happy to meet him," he concluded.

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