'When you start asking these questions＃': Sunil Gavaskar hints at why Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired from Test cricket

Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket after a long stint of 13 years on Monday, May 13, 2025. The decision came after remarkable innings and game-changing contributions. However, he leaves some recognitions on the table, finishing 670 runs shy of the coveted 10,000-run milestone in Test cricket. But it seems Sunil Gavaskar is not surprised by his retirement.

As King Kohli would have been the fourth Indian batsman to join the elite group that was initiated by Sunil Gavaskar. Meanwhile, the Indian legend also commented on Kohli's retirement and tried to clear the picture as to why Virat Kohli might have made the decision.

Most Test Centuries by Indians in SENA:

17 每 Sachin Tendulkar (114 innings)
12 每 Virat Kohli (93 innings)
10 每 Rahul Dravid (89 innings)
8 每 Sunil Gavaskar (57 innings)
6 每 M Azharuddin (48 innings)
5 每 Sourav Ganguly (59 innings)
5 每 VVS Laxman (75 innings)
5 每 Cheteshwar＃ pic.twitter.com/EoJGtnQ8y4

〞 All Cricket Records (@Cric_records45) May 12, 2025

Sunil Gavaskar's say on Virat Kohli's retirement

According to Sports Tak, Gavaskar said that there were questions asked of a lot of players after the Australia tour, that not just 1-2 players but almost everyone was involved in bowling or batting.

He went on to say that after winning the first Test, people thought that India would win in Australia for the third consecutive time, but that did not happen; hence, questions were asked.

Gavaskar also explained how athletes tend to enter a frame of mind when they ask themselves some questions in difficult situations, with a small element of self-doubt. "And sometimes you ask yourselves those questions: Do I still have that ability? Am I finding satisfaction in this? When you start asking these questions, you start telling yourself that if I remove myself, it will be better. To quash those thoughts is difficult," he added.

Credit: X

Gavaskar wanted Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to play

Well, Gavaskar didn't stop there; he also mentioned that Kohli's retirement came just after Rohit Sharma's retirement news, which shows that it is the end of a very successful era of Test cricket in India.

He said all of us in Indian cricket wanted them to continue, but if you have to make a decision, they are the only ones who had to make a decision, and they are the only ones who can do it.

"Maybe they decided that if this were a 3-match series, it would have been a different story. But maybe this being 5 Test matches across 6 weeks, with no break, maybe that＊s why they did it," he said.

When it comes to stamina and willingness, both Rohit, who is now 38 years old, and Kolhi will be celebrating his 37th birthday next year, their stamina and willingness to be embedded in an extended tour may have played a role.

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