Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli ‘Tied Their Hands Themselves’ by Retiring from Tests: Aakash Chopra

Former India batter Aakash Chopra has suggested that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma “tied their hands themselves” by retiring from Test cricket earlier this year. His remarks come after the announcement of India’s squad for the upcoming Australia tour, featuring three ODIs and five T20Is. With Rohit removed as captain and Shubman Gill named his successor, Chopra believes the future looks uncertain for the two veterans.

Since both players now feature only in ODIs, questions remain about how they will maintain form and match fitness. Relying solely on ODIs and the Indian Premier League (IPL) may not be enough to sustain performance at the international level, and it is unclear whether they will also participate in tournaments like the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Rohit and Virat had retired from T20Is following India’s World Cup win in Barbados last year and ended their Test careers earlier this year—a move that surprised many fans, though some anticipated it after their difficult tour of Australia.

Chopra praised selectors Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir for taking tough calls but stressed that Kohli and Rohit themselves limited their options.

“They have tied their hands themselves. The moment you retire from the Test format, I thought T20 was absolutely par for the course because when you won the World Cup, you retire, that’s fine. But if they had continued playing Tests, they would have played a lot more cricket—not just Test cricket, but first-class elsewhere—to maintain serious form,” Chopra said on ESPNCricinfo.

Form Key for ODI Survival
Chopra added that consistent performance is critical for both players to secure their spots in the XI.

“But now if you’re playing only ODIs, something I said for Rohit is also true for Virat. Virat has phenomenal one-day numbers, maybe slightly better than Rohit, even though Rohit has three double centuries. But it’s form-dependent: if you keep scoring, you find a place; if you don’t, someone else is waiting,” he noted.

With their international careers now limited to a single format, Chopra emphasizes that runs will be the deciding factor for their continued presence in the Indian team.