Anil Kumble has ignited speculation about potential farewells for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from Test cricket, urging the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to ensure they receive a fitting send-off. Kumble's comments come in the wake of Kohli and Sharma's recent retirements from Test cricket, decisions that took many by surprise.
Kohli, after playing 123 Test matches and scoring 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries, announced his retirement on Monday. Sharma had decided to step away from the longest format the previous Thursday. Kumble believes that players of their stature deserve the opportunity to bid farewell to fans on the field. He noted that the "quiet" exits of these two giants of Indian cricket, ahead of the Test tour of England, were surprising.
Kumble expressed his sentiments on ESPNcricinfo, emphasizing that these players deserved a proper send-off. He urged those in charge to address the matter, acknowledging the importance of fan presence in such moments.
The absence of Sharma and Kohli is expected to create a significant void in the Indian squad, especially with the upcoming five-match Test tour in England, which marks the beginning of the World Test Championship cycle 2025-27. Kumble believes that at least one of the two experienced players should have been present for the challenging series. He admitted that their decisions likely surprised the selectors, who probably wanted them to continue.
Meanwhile, India is set to tour Australia in October and November 2025 for a series of three One Day International (ODI) and five Twenty20 International (T20I) matches. Cricket Australia confirmed the fixtures in March 2025 as part of their home international season.
The ODI squad includes Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (VC), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (WK), and Yashasvi Jaiswal. The T20I squad features Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Arshdeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Tilak Varma, and Kuldeep Yadav.
The first ODI is scheduled for October 19 at Perth Stadium. Adelaide Oval will host a Day/Night ODI on October 23, and the final ODI will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground on October 25. The T20I series will commence on October 29 at Manuka Oval.
Kumble's remarks serve as a reminder of the contributions made by Kohli and Sharma and highlight the importance of honoring players who have had a significant impact on Indian cricket.
