Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma wanted to save Test cricket, but retired because of poor atmosphere: Ex-Indian cricketer

Former Indian cricketer and politician Manoj Tiwary has reckoned that the Indian batting stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were keen to save Test cricket, but had to step back from the format due to the poor atmosphere around them.

Notably, Rohit and Kohli announced their retirement from the longest format of the game ahead of the Anderson Tendulkar Trophy in England in the new World Test Championship 2025-27 (WTC) cycle, raising eyebrows among many in the Indian cricketing fraternity. 

Speaking exclusively on India Today, Tiwary emphasised that a team like India doesn’t need a transition as there are a lot of talented players waiting for their chances from the domestic circuit. 

“This whole “transition phase” talk, I don’t agree with it. India doesn’t need a transition. New Zealand or Zimbabwe need a transition. Our domestic cricket is full of talented performers waiting for chances. Because of this unnecessary transition, our star players like Virat and Rohit, who wanted to keep playing Test cricket and protect its sanctity, slowly stepped back because of the atmosphere created around them,” Tiwary told India Today.

Additionally, Tiwary also lashed out at the Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir, who criticised the Indian batters for their approach in the Eden Gardens Test as India suffered a 30-run defeat to South Africa to start the two-match series on a worrying note.

“You cannot blame players' technique after losing. As a coach, your job is to teach, not to blame. If the batters didn’t have solid defence, why weren’t they trained before the match? When he played, Gambhir himself was a good player of spin, so he should teach more. The results aren’t in India’s favour,” the former Indian batter concluded.

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