Former Indian captain and legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev has heaped massive praise on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, emphasizing their unparalleled contributions to Indian cricket. Dev, the first Indian captain to win the ODI World Cup title, highlighted that both Rohit and Virat are irreplaceable in any format of the game.
Following India’s triumph in the 2024 edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Rohit and Virat announced their retirements from T20Is. Kapil Dev expressed his admiration for their careers and acknowledged their significant impact on Indian cricket.
“No one can take Virat and Rohit’s place in the Indian team in any format. They have been huge servants of Indian cricket, and it was a happy farewell for them. The stature that Virat has made for himself in all formats means he will surely be missed in T20Is. Both are akin to Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni in terms of their impact and legacy. They are irreplaceable,” Kapil Dev was quoted as saying by IANS.
WATCH – Mohammed Shami Back in Nets: Gearing Up For A Strong Comeback
Rohit Sharma, who holds the distinction of being the first and only Indian to win two T20 World Cup titles, is the most capped player in T20I history. He concluded his T20I career as the leading run-scorer and the top six-hitter.
On the other hand, Virat Kohli ended his illustrious 14-year-long T20I career with a Player of the Match performance in the final of the T20 World Cup 2024, held in Barbados on June 29. Kohli is the second-leading run-scorer in T20Is and the highest run-scorer in T20 World Cup history.
After stepping away from T20Is, Rohit Sharma may return to action for India next month during the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, scheduled to be played in Colombo on August 2, 4, and 7.
ALSO READ: Paras Mhambrey Praises Arshdeep Singh’s Potential In Test Cricket
The BCCI is set to announce India’s squad for the upcoming limited-overs series on Wednesday, July 17. It will be intriguing to see who will be chosen to lead the Men in Blue in the three-match T20I series. Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya and middle-order batter Suryakumar Yadav are the frontrunners to succeed Rohit as the new captain of India’s T20I team, marking a new chapter in Indian cricket.
