RoKo under fire: Is the curtain falling on two legends?

With talented and in-form youngsters knocking hard on the doors of the side, Rohit and Kohli’s poor performance spells trouble for Team India

Hyderabad: 3, 6, 10, 3, 9, these are the runs scored by Team India captain Rohit Sharma, who ‘opted’ himself out of the Sydney Test in the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy.

Though the senior India batter on Saturday cleared the air on his retirement rumours and said he “stood down” from the Sydney Test on account of poor form, speculations are rife that the Melbourne Test might have been the Hitman’s final appearance in Test cricket.

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This came after Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir made it clear that ‘performance’ is the only thing that would keep a player in the dressing room led by him.

Rohit, who is one of the first sitting India captains to be ‘dropped’ due to poor form, scored a Test century in March 2024 against England in Dharamsala. However, in his subsequent 15 innings, he managed to score only one half-century and 10 single-digit scores.

Rohit, who led the team to the historic T20 World Cup last year with his ‘fearless’ approach, will turn 38 this April. The India-Australia Test in Sydney is the last match for the team in the longest format for another five months. If Team India qualifies for the World Test Championship final, scheduled to be held on June 11, there will still be a chance for the BCCI selectors to lend Rohit a final opportunity.

However, the chances of India securing a place in the WTC final at the Lord’s against South Africa look bleak as a win for Australia in the Sydney Test will confirm their place for the summit clash. On the other hand, India not only requires a win in Sydney but also need Sri Lanka to not lose any of their two Tests at home against the Kangaroos.

If India fails to qualify for the World Test Championship final, then the next assignment in the longest format for the team would be the five-Test series against England starting June 20. With form and time both running out, Rohit’s journey in the traditional format looks a long shot.

On the other hand, star batter Virat Kohli’s love affair with outside off-stump deliveries continued in BGT, as in the 10 innings, he got dismissed 8 times by same delivery. Strange as it may sound, but it’s the 23rd time since 2021 that Kohli has been dismissed by deliveries outside his off-stump.

Both Rohit and Kohli, fondly called RoKo, are under fire from senior player and also fans alike, who expressed their ire over their poor performances in the last few series. There are speculations that the duo might retire from all forms of cricket after the ICC Champions Trophy, scheduled to be held in February in Dubai.

With talented and in-form youngsters such as Shubman Gill and Sarfaraz Khan knocking hard on the doors of the side, the downfall in performance from the two stalwarts of Indian cricket is forcing many experts and fans to say, it’s time for the duo to call it a day!