India’s legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev has shared his concerns about India captain Rohit Sharma and ace batter Virat Kohli being past their prime years. This comes after both the batters failed to make substantial runs in India’s 280-run win over Bangladesh in the first Test in Chennai.
Rohit Sharma made 6 and 5 runs in two innings, while Virat Kohli scored 5 and 17 for India. On the other hand, R Ashwin scored 113 and Ravindra Jadeja made 86 in the first innings, while Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant hit centuries in the second innings.
Kapil, who bid adieu to international cricket at the age of 35, believes that once a player reaches 34 years of age, his future is totally determined by how his body is holding up.
Kohli and Rohit, who recently won India's 2024 T20 World Cup at the ages of 35 and 36, respectively, and will compete in next year's Champions Trophy and World Test Championship final if India qualifies, are in relatively decent shape for their ages.
The two batting stalwarts may still have a lot to give Indian cricket, but Kapil believes that beyond 34, a player's ability to continue is directly proportional to his conditioning and fitness.
"In my opinion, the period between 26 and 34 years is your prime and thereafter the fitness of the players will ensure their longevity," Kapil was quoted as saying on MyKhel.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from T20Is after India’s T20 World Cup 2024 win. With two ICC crowns up for grabs in 2025, rest assured Rohit and Kohli will go all out to win them now that they know what it's like to win the World Cup as seniors.
Sachin Tendulkar retired at the age of 40, while MS Dhoni did so at 39. And, with Kohli and Rohit having already given up one format, dropping their participation in the next World Cup may not be such a daring move after all.
Kapil declined to comment on when Kohli and Rohit should retire, stating that the decision is all theirs and that no one knows it better than them.
"Ravi Shastri retired at a very early age while Sachin Tendulkar had a longer stint. So it is completely up to the individual to decide their ways of life. My way of thinking is to stay fit and keep playing as long as you are enjoying the game," added Kapil.
