Former India wicketkeeper-batsman Deep Dasgupta has vehemently supported senior batsmen Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, claiming that no one can prescribe when they should retire from international cricket.

Dasgupta, who has been covering the current Indian team as a broadcaster daily, emphasized that the players' decision to withdraw from the game should be entirely their own.

Kohli and Rohit have withdrawn from T20Is and Tests and are only available for ODIs, which are currently ranked beneath the shortest and longest formats unless there is an ICC tournament.

"Nobody has got that right. We never told them to start, so we are nobody to tell them when to stop. They stop when they stop. It's completely up to them," Dasgupta told RevSportz.

Dasgupta maintained that seniority or age should not be taken into consideration when talking about retirement and that performance should be the sole criterion for selection.

"Yes, as far as selection is concerned, we are in a performance-oriented industry. You keep performing, you stay. There is absolutely no two ways about it. I saw recently pictures of him (Rohit); he is looking fit, he is up and running, and he is up for the challenge coming towards him," he added.

Kohli and Rohit both last played for India in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which India won. Both cricketers have reportedly taken the mandatory fitness tests, suggesting that they are not yet ready to walk away.

The argument that older players should give way to younger talent just because of their age was also rejected by Dasgupta. Rather, he stated that if both Rohit and Kohli continue to play at their best, they still have a few years of cricket left. He also spoke about whether Rohit and Kohli will be able to sustain motivation till the 2027 ICC World Cup.

"I personally feel they both have got a few years left in them going forward. And I seriously get a little annoyed when people say, ‘Oh, this guy should retire.’ I mean, who are we to suggest anything like that? The big challenge for me is that hunger bit. If they have that hunger, which it seems like they do, then they'll find a way," he said.

Dasgupta also suggested that Rohit and Kohli should explore other avenues to continue playing top-tier cricket apart from the IPL and Indian domestic white-ball tournaments. He suggested that options in England, South Africa, or Australia could be explored, depending on eligibility rules.

“For example, IPL will be there for two months. Then they will be playing 7-8 ODIs or maybe 8-9. Now, between that, you've got the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Then, if they want, they can go and play 50 overs in England. So you have options to keep playing cricket; it might not be at the highest level or international, but you still have them.

I don't know if there is a possibility; maybe I'll go to South Africa, or maybe I'll go to Australia and play some 50-over games there. I know, as far as England is concerned, that's definitely an option. I don’t know much about the rules involved with South Africa or Australia, though, but the bottom line is the hunger. If they are hungry enough, they will find a way,” Dasgupta stated.

Kohli and Rohit are set to return to the Indian team when it travels to Australia for a white-ball series, including three ODIs in October.

(RevSportz inputs)