“Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma to announce retirement after Champions Trophy?” Aakash Chopra opines on future of two veterans
Renowned commentator Aakash Chopra remains unsure if Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will retire from ODI cricket after the Champions Trophy 2025 Final. He said if they do, they will only have Test cricket left at the international level.
Notably, India will lock horns with New Zealand in the Champions Trophy 2025 final on Sunday, March 9, in Dubai.
During the semifinal match against Australia, skipper Rohit scored 28 runs from 29 balls and Virat Kohli delivered a match-winning performance of 84 runs from 98 balls. India won the match by four wickets on Tuesday, March 4 and made it to the finals.
“It’s their decision. It won’t be easy. Kohli has performed very well with the bat in 2025, while Rohit’s performance has been average. But he can change that by scoring a hundred in the final.”
‘Will they take that path? Nobody knows’ – Aakash Chopra
Chopra also discussed that he was unsure if the two players would retire after the tournament. He explained that their decision to retire from T20Is after winning the T20 World Cup in 2024 made sense. However, he was uncertain if they would also leave ODIs as of now.
“If they retire from both T20Is and ODIs, only Test cricket will be left. Will they take that path? Nobody knows,” Chopra added.
Aakash Chopra also spoke about their chances of playing in the 2027 ODI World Cup. He said, “Two years is a significant period, and it can feel even longer without playing T20Is. However, with numerous ODIs scheduled over the next year, they will remain active in the format.”
Rohit Sharma has scored 104 runs in four innings in the Champions Trophy 2025 at an average of 26.00, while Virat Kohli has amassed 217 runs in four innings at an average of 72.33.
