Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma wanted to keep playing Test cricket, but stepped back because of the atmosphere around them: Manoj Tiwary

Manoj Tiwary made explosive claims that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli "wanted to keep playing Test cricket" but retired because of the "atmosphere created around them" and the "unnecessary transition" narrative. He criticized Head Coach Gautam Gambhir for blaming player technique after the Kolkata Test loss.

20 Nov 2025 14:41 IST

New Update

Former Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary has stated that the Indian talismanic batting duo of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma wanted to save the longest format of the game, but had to bid adieu to the format due to the poor atmosphere around them.

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For the unversed, Rohit and Kohli announced their Test retirement ahead of the Anderson Tendulkar Trophy in England in the new World Test Championship 2025-27 (WTC) cycle as the BCCI appointed Shubman Gill as the new Test captain.

Speaking exclusively on India Today, Tiwary asserted that nations like Zimbabwe and New Zealand need a transition and not a team like India, because talent is abundant in the domestic circuit, waiting for their chances in the senior side.

“This whole “transition phase” talk, I don’t agree with it. India doesn’t need a transition. New Zealand or Zimbabwe need a transition. Our domestic cricket is full of talented performers waiting for chances. Because of this unnecessary transition, our star players like Virat and Rohit, who wanted to keep playing Test cricket and protect its sanctity, slowly stepped back because of the atmosphere created around them,” Tiwary told India Today.

Furthermore, Tiwary also slammed the Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir, who lashed out at the Indian batters for their poor approach in the Eden Gardens Test as India suffered a 30-run loss to South Africa.

“You cannot blame players' technique after losing. As a coach, your job is to teach, not to blame. If the batters didn’t have solid defence, why weren’t they trained before the match? When he played, Gambhir himself was a good player of spin, so he should teach more. The results aren’t in India’s favour,” the former Indian batter concluded.

India will take on South Africa in the second and final Test, starting on Saturday, November 22, in Guwahati.

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