Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has stated that the 2025 Champions Trophy could be the last ICC event for Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja as well. He shared that the next ICC event the trio could be a part of which is two years away as well.
However, the upcoming edition of the Champions Trophy will take place in Pakistan and Dubai from February 19 onwards. The Indian team are placed in Group A alongside Bangladesh, Pakistan and New Zealand as well, and they will start their campaign against Bangladesh in Dubai on February 20 as well.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel ‘Aakash Chopra’, he said, “I am saying with a heavy heart that you are right. There is a strong possibility. The Champions Trophy is about to happen and after that, there will be another ICC event this year, which is the WTC (World Test Championship) final and we haven’t reached there. So none among Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja will play that. After that, the ICC event next year is the T20 World Cup but all three have retired from that format. So all three won’t play there as well. The ODI World Cup will be in 2027, which is a bit too far. The world will look very different by 2027. I think the players also feel this could be their last.”
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In the same video, Aakash Chopra also added that Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja’s presence in the Indian team for an ICC event beyond the 2025 Champions Trophy won’t rely on how long they can play as well.
“We always say never say never, that you might see Rohit playing the next World Cup and Virat and Jadeja could be seen for sure as he (Jadeja) is super fit. We don’t talk about Jaddu’s fitness that much. He is as fit as Kohli and might be fitter than him, but we talk about Kohli remaining fit till 2027. The question won’t be whether these people can play till then,” he said.
“The question will be whether Indian cricket can survive without them or not. The question should always be how long Indian cricket needs a particular player and whether a better option is available at that time. I feel there is a strong possibility this could be the last ICC event for Rohit, Jadeja and even for Kohli,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
