Retiring from Test cricket, cricketing icons Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were recently retired, and former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has shared his thoughts on the same, terming the moment as the turning point in Indian cricket history and tagging it as “the beginning of the Gautam Gambhir era”. Saying something on his YouTube channel, Ashwin revealed that he was surprised by the simultaneous retirement of the two stalwarts. I had not come up with the thought that both [Rohit and Kohli] would call it a day together. This will be a good test for the Indian cricket”, he said. “I will say this is the beginning of the Gautam Gambhir era,” he added while speaking about the leadership role that the former opener will have in India’s next chapter.
Leadership Vacuum before England Tour
Ashwin said that India now has to get used to the fact that it will not have this level of leadership or experience when an onerous, five-match Test series against the hosts comes up in England, starting from June 20 at Leeds (Headingley). He stated that the team going to England will be “a transformed unit” and probably won’t have the experienced mentoring of Kohli and Rohit. “These vacancies will certainly leave a leadership vacuum, ” Ashwin said. You cannot pay for experience, particularly regarding tours such as this. Energy of Virat and composure of Rohit will be missed”.
Bumrah as a Potential Leader
In his support of who should be captain of the new era of Indian Test cricket, Ashwin also endorsed Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah should be the most senior player on the tour. He is in one of the sporting positions. I think he deserves the captaincy,” Ashwin stated, adding that selectors will consider his physical workload and record on injuries before making a decision.
Sudden Exits After T20I Farewell
Kohli and Rohit had already taken a break from T20 internationals after India won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 when they decided to wind up their white-ball career on a successful note. Their Test retirements, though, came as a real shock to lovers of the game and even pundits alike. Both players made the announcements through Instagram story in a sequence, fast enough for the management of the team to conclude replacements for the high-profile England series. With India in a transition, attention moves to the influence that Gautam Gambhir would have on the young cricketers as his mentor or a coach, and how he, along with the selection committee, would influence the future generation of Test cricketers. While a new chapter is being written, the future of India’s red-ball cricket hangs by a thin thread, with new talent, future leaders, and great expectations to fulfill.
