End of year 2025: Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli factors in 2025

The Indian cricket team has entered a period of transition following the retirement of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. First, the duo decided to opt out of the shortest format of the game after India won the T20 World Cup for the second time in 2024. Then, they took the world by surprise by announcing their decision to opt out of Tests just before the IND vs ENG series, this despite the duo participating in the Ranji Trophy matches earlier this year in a bid to prolong their Test careers. Ultimately, it turned out that the team management wanted to leave the Ro-Ko duo.

The departure of the veteran Ro-Ko duo led to a mixed performance. The Indian team did well to draw the series against England and win the West Indies at home, but lost the series against South Africa. They won the Champions Trophy and the series against Australia in the ODI format while winning the Asia Cup, IND vs AUS and the IND vs SA T20I series this year, in Ro-Ko’s absence.

Struggle in tests without Ro-Ko

Rohit and Kohli are out of Tests after a poor final series against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. While Sharma scored 619 runs in 14 Tests in 2024, Virat managed to accumulate 430 runs in 11 matches in the 2024/25 period. Virat was troubled by outside off deliveries, leading to his dismissals in the majority of his innings in Australia. On the other hand, Rohit was forced to quit in the last IND vs AUS Test due to his poor form.

Both Rohit and Kohli featured in the Ranji Trophy matches earlier this year in an attempt to stay alive in contention for places in the Test team. However, the selection committee had decided it was time to move on to the next generation as the series against England approached.

In the absence of the veteran duo, India struggled against England in their first series after the IPL but did well. They also managed to overshadow the Windies, but fell short in the series against South Africa. The lack of experience in an Indian team without Rohit and Kohli also cost the team, leading India to lose their first Test series against the Proteas in 15 years.

Although Gill managed to do well in the series against England in the first match, the lack of effective batting numbers 3 and 4 in the longest format of the match was felt, with Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan underperforming.

Ro-Ko Rule ODI

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli finished as the number 1 and 2 ODI batters for 2025, despite having retired from 2 out of 3 formats. The veteran duo brushed aside all speculation about their form and fitness with their performances in the series against Australia and South Africa. The Hitman went on to score 4 fifty-plus scores in the six ODIs he was part of after the Champions Trophy, while Kohlii has four fifty-plus scores, including two consecutive hundreds in his last 6 ODIs. This is despite two consecutive ducks in the first two ODIs against Australia.

Overall, Rohit and Kohli demonstrated their prowess in the 50-over format in 2025, proving that age was not a bar and they still had it. The Hitman was least bothered by Gill replacing him as captain just before the Australia series, while Kohli went about his business with ease after being uncomfortable at the start. Even though chief selector Ajit Agarkar maintained that the duo is not committed to the ODI World Cup in 2027, the duo has proven that they are very much in the game and are ready to continue for years to come.