Sanju Samson's T20I future took another hit on Tuesday as India benched him yet again, favouring the finishing skills of Jitesh Sharma in a team that now appears fully committed to its Shubman Gill-led blueprint.
Spin great Ravichandran Ashwin praised Rohit Sharma's remarkable transformation after he surpassed Shahid Afridi's record for the most sixes in ODIs.
Test cricket would have been a "far blander place" without Kohli: Vaughan
Ollie Pope believes the young Indian side, led by a 'fantastic' Shubman Gill, has plenty of depth and talent, but it will miss the aura of Virat Kohli
Between 2014 and 2019, he scored 21 centuries in just 55 Tests. Among these were seven double centuries, the most by an Indian in Test cricket. Remarkably, six of those double tons came within a span of just 22 Tests.
Virat Kohli led the team from the front for five years and he enjoyed "each and every moment" that he played under his predecessor, said India's new white-ball captain Rohit Sharma.
As he closes the most revered chapter of his career, here are some of his best Test knocks:
Shubman Gill has described his appointment as India's ODI captain as the "biggest honour", expressing pride in carrying forward the legacy left by Rohit Sharma, who will play under him in the upcoming three-match series in Australia.
'I was constantly under the microscope. Eventually, I had to ask myself if I was still happy. If I wanted to continue, I needed to find that joy again.'
Calling it the formal start of Gill's era, Chopra also wondered what the change means for Rohit Sharma, whose place in India's long-term plans could now depend solely on form and fitness.
A few months after his U-19 World Cup heroics, three senior journalists sought his cellphone number, which he readily provided -- only, he gave three different, but similar, numbers to the three of them!
Rohit Sharma first wore the ODI captaincy armband in 2017 and led India in 56 ODIs, winning a stunning 42, while losing just 12.
'As a captain and a player, he never played for a draw, he always wanted to win.'
From the lad with spiked hair lifting the U19 World Cup to the statesman in whites scoring one final ton -- Virat Kohli's journey is one of relentless ambition, transformation, and enduring legacy.
India enjoy a dominant 9-3 win loss record against Pakistan in T20 Internationals, including a 7-1 margin in T20 World Cups.
Virat Kohli, former Test captain, lauded the team's resilience
Former Australian captain Brad Haddin encouraged the Aussie public to go out and watch Indian icons Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in action
'Don't bring up this whole age issue that he is touching 40.' 'He's fit, batting well and catching brilliantly at slips.' 'What else do you need?'
India have relied on their spin strength on rank turners to gain points in WTC cycles in the past but Gill has said he wants his side to play on tracks that offer equally to batters and bowlers.
Rajat Patidar's astute captaincy has been apparent throughout this season, be it bowling changes or field placements, he has been spot on. Unlike other franchises where captaining big egos has not sat well with certain players, Patidar has commanded the respect of his senior India as well as international team-mates.
Expect some fireworks for the highly-versatile Cameron Green along with Quinton de Kock, Matheesha Pathirana, Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi.
Under Rohit Sharma, India won the 2018 and 2023 ODI Asia Cup, runners-up position in the 2023 World Cup at home and triumphed in the the ICC Champions Trophy in March.
Brett Lee compared Gill's captaincy style to that of Australian legends Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh, highlighting his ability to command respect and stand firm in challenging moments.
'He doesn't play T20 cricket. So, he will not be a part of the World Cup in 2026 in India. But when they go to 2027 in South Africa, he will be 40 years old. And that's a big number in sport.'
India will miss Virat Kohli more than Rohit Sharma in the marquee Test series against England and the duo's recent retirement from the format will "hurt" the transitioning team's chances in the rubber starting on Friday, reckons the legendary Geoffrey Boycott.
'In Shubman's leadership, there is either "Yes" or "No". There is no place for "May Be". As a leader and captain, you need to have that assertiveness about decisions you take, and he definitely has that.'
Kohli's farewell came during a turbulent Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, a place once synonymous with his rise.
Rajaneesh Gupta lists the amazing numbers that make Rohit Sharma one of the finest ODI batters of his time.
The star batter's aggression has been a fire to forge inspiration and motivation, but it has also led to some unnecessary controversies in the red-ball format.
Virat Kohli inched closer to a maiden IPL title after Royal Challengers Bengaluru thrashed Punjab Kings by eight wickets in a lopsided Qualifier 1 match.
India are yet to win a Test in Birmingham in nearly six decades -- boasting of a dismal record of seven losses and one draw in eight attempts.
Rahul Dravid had backed Shubman Gill to become India's all-format captain four years ago.
Gambhir said his only advice to Gill has been, "Just be himself".
Virat received medical attention for a possible knee niggle.
'The 2018 series win in Australia stands out in his captaincy.'
Virat Kohli has expressed his full support for Rajat Patidar as the new captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), praising Patidar's consistency and discipline.
If the men of 1983 gave India a reason to dream, the women of 2025 could give it something rarer -- the courage to live that dream in full daylight, under an open sky that finally belongs to them, points out Prem Panicker.
'I was already on that flight, mentally. But when I wasn't selected, it hit me hard. I couldn't understand what went wrong.'
'It is humanly impossible to sustain at the level at which he was playing between 2014 and 2019.' 'The dip had to come.'
I felt India needed me in Australia, selectors should look at intent than age: Ajinkya Rahane
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