Should Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retire from shortest format after T20 World Cup 2024?

A section of cricket enthusiasts are expecting that the ongoing edition of the T20 World Cup could be the last time the legendary duo of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma is representing India in the shortest format of the game.

Ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup, reports emerged that the selectors were pondering about the possibility of leaving out Virat and Rohit from the 15-man squad. The two iconic cricketers hadn't played T20 cricket for 14 months after the last edition of the T20 World Cup in 2022. However, they made themselves available for selection during the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan earlier this year, much to the joy of the Indian cricket aficionados.

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Kohli registered scores of 29 and 0 in the second and third T20Is respectively, after missing the first game. Meanwhile, the Indian captain couldn't open his account in the first two games but bounced back with an unbeaten 121 off 69 balls in the final T20I.

During the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, Rohit blew hot and cold, but Kohli showed tremendous consistency. The Delhi batter finished as the highest run-getter, scoring 741 runs from 15 matches at an average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 154.69, his highest in an IPL season. Meanwhile, Rohit finished with 417 runs at an average of 32.08 and a strike rate of 150.

How have Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma fared so far in T20 World Cup 2024?

Kohli hasn't been able to replicate his IPL form in the 20-team competition thus far. In three games, he has only scored five runs. Meanwhile, Rohit started with a half-century against Ireland but departed for 13 and 3 in the following two matches.

The Men in Blue have made their way into the Super Eight stage of the competition after picking up wins against Ireland, Pakistan, and the USA. Their final encounter in the first round against Canada was abandoned due to a wet outfield. Indian fans would want their talismanic duo to fire on all cylinders as the T20 World Cup gradually enters the business end.

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If India go on to lift the title, it could be a fairytale swansong for Kohli and Rohit, as far as their T20I careers are concerned. Their performances in the next few games are going to be crucial to India's chances of ending their title drought in ICC events. There is no dearth of prodigies in Indian cricket and the talented youngsters would be desperately hoping to make a mark in the national team. The talented Yashasvi Jaiswal is already on the bench as the team management has decided to open with Kohli and Rohit. There are other skillful youngsters like Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Abhishek Sharma waiting for their opportunities to dazzle on the international stage.

Kohli is now 35 years old, while Rohit is 37. The next T20 World Cup is scheduled to be held in 2026. Both the players might want to hang their boots in the shortest format of the game and focus on extending their careers in the longer formats. Both the players have always put the team above themselves during their illustrious careers. It goes without saying that their decision will be in the best interest of the team.