Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar on Saturday conceded that the void left by the Test retirement of premier cricketers Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma is tough to fill, but hoped that other players will step up during the upcoming tour of England. Rohit was the first to announce retirement from Test cricket on May 7, while his long-time teammate Kohli followed suit on May 12. “When guys like that retire, they are stalwarts of cricket…it is always difficult, (their) shoes are very big to fill. But one way of looking at it is, that it’s an opportunity for others,” Agarkar told the media after announcing India’s 18-member squad for the five-Test series starting June 20.

Young left-hander Sai Sudharsan and the seasoned Karun Nair have been brought in to replace the two superstars.

Agarkar revealed that Kohli had reached out to him last month, possibly after the Champions Trophy, expressing his desire to quit Test cricket.

“Virat reached out (to the BCCI/selection committee) in early April, and he felt he had given everything he could. If he felt he could not be up to the standards that he has set, you have got to respect that. Needless to say, Rohit has been leading the team as well,” Agarkar added.

“They’ve left a legacy behind. Obviously, I’ve had conversations with both of them over the last couple of months. We’ve seen him (Kohli) give 200 per cent every ball that he plays. Even when he’s not batting or he’s on the field.

“He probably felt that he had given everything that he had and if you can’t keep up to the standards that he set himself over the years and how good he’s been and maybe it was time for him.”

There have been intense speculations surrounding the future of both Kohli and Rohit in the traditional format after a series of underwhelming outings in the last year or so.

The latest instance in that wobbling effort was the tour of Australia for the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Kohli started with a bang, making a hundred at Perth but faded away quickly to end the tour at 190 runs from five Tests at an average of 23.

Rohit, who joined the side after the first Test, was equally unimpressive, making just 31 runs from five Tests at an average of 6.2, besides standing down from the fifth and final at Sydney.

“It has come for him (and) you’ve got to respect that. They’ve earned that respect. As all great players are, one thing they are is they’re true to themselves. You’ve got to respect that. When you’ve got a guy who’s played 120 Test matches (and scored) 30 Test hundreds,” Agarkar said.

“It’s going to be tough (position) to fill. It’s an opportunity for someone else. But he’s shown what needs to be done to succeed at this level.

“It’s a new cycle. It’s an opportunity to build something for us as well. But there’s no doubt. That’s why you’ve got to show them the respect that they want instead of speculating too many things. It’s sometimes a personal call with players. You’ve got to respect that.”

So, did the powers that be tried to persuade Kohli and Rohit to stay back for the tour of England, considering the magnitude of the series? Agarkar was quite blunt in his assessment of the situation, and said building a new side for the upcoming World Test Championship cycle (2025-27) took precedence.

“When somebody takes a call (to retire), it is not up to me. Retirement is a personal call. It’s a new WTC (World Test Championship) cycle, and you are looking at all scenarios to help build a team,” he said while echoing the sentiments of head coach Gautam Gambhir.

There were speculations that Kohli wanted to travel to England for a farewell series, but Agarkar did not dwell into it, simply saying the decision to move away from Test cricket was entirely made by the star batter.

“When somebody decides, it’s not up to us. Our job is to pickup someone. But yes. when somebody finishes…two big cricketers, it will be a hole to fill. Of course, (Mohammad) Shami too is there, as he had done a lot for Indian cricket,” he noted.

“Like I said, their performances over the years have shown the amount of games that they’ve won for India. It’s someone else’s chance now. But there’s no doubt we’ll miss them.

“All three of them, and Shami here. He’s again, in Test cricket, he’s been incredible. Four guys like that, not being part of the squad, it’s going to make it a little bit tougher but it’s an opportunity for other guys.” 

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