India coach Gautam Gambhir said it will be a challenging road ahead for the Test team following Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma hanging up their boots from the longest format. However, Gambhir also said that the retirements also presents other players with the opportunity to make an impact and take responsibility.
“I think, when you start the game and when you want to finish, it’s a very individual decision. No one has the right. Be it the coach, the selector, be it anyone in this country has any right to tell someone when to retire and when not to retire. So it comes from within,” told CNN-News18.
“And yes, we’ve got to be without two senior players to really experience players. And sometimes I believe that it’s the opportunity for some other people to put their hand up and say, ‘Okay, I am ready for it.’” So yes, it will be tough, but then there’ll be people putting their hand up for sure because this question was asked to me before. Champions Trophy as well. When wasn’t there and I said exactly the same thing, someone missing out might give another person an opportunity to do something special for the country, hopefully, there’ll be other guys waiting for that opportunity,” he added.
Both Rohit and Kohli will be available for India in the 50-over format and when asked if they’ll be in the squad for the 2027 ODI World Cup, Gambhir said that discussion was a long way away.
“Look, it’s still a long way away. We still have a T20 World Cup before that, and that is again a huge tournament that is going to happen in India, which is in February-March. So the entire focus at the moment, after England, will be on the T20 World Cup, and November-December 2027 is still two-and-a-half years away. And I’ve always said one thing – if you keep performing, age is just a number,” he said.
