"I can understand with Rohit" - Aakash Chopra on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma being spoken about together ahead of AUS vs IND 2025 ODIs

Former India player Aakash Chopra has wondered why Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are being discussed together ahead of the Men in Blue's ODI series against Australia. While observing that Rohit has been replaced as captain, he highlighted that nothing has changed for Kohli.

India and Australia will square off in a three-match ODI series, with the first game to be played in Perth on Sunday, October 19. Kohli and Rohit are part of the 15-member Indian squad, although Shubman Gill has taken over the captaincy reins from the latter.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener expressed surprise about Kohli and Rohit being clubbed together in discussions ahead of the Australia series.

"One thing was on my mind, and the question was asked yesterday as well. We are talking about Rohit and Kohli together, but their stories are very different. Something has happened with Rohit. You were the captain in the previous series and had won the trophy, but you are not the captain now. So something has happened, I get it. Nothing has happened with Virat Kohli," Chopra said (1:30).

He was playing in the Champions Trophy earlier and is doing so now as well. He will play at the same number he was playing there. He will get the same respect he was getting earlier. He is an integral part of the Indian cricket team and he is going to be there. So what has changed? Why have they been clubbed together? I can understand with Rohit, as something different has happened," he added.

Rohit Sharma led India to the 2025 Champions Trophy title earlier this year. However, the selectors decided to hand over the captaincy to Shubman Gill ahead of the ODI series against Australia as part of the preparations for the 2027 World Cup.

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"I am wondering whether anyone can push Virat Kohli" - Aakash Chopra on suggestions that Kohli and Rohit Sharma were forced to retire from Tests

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from Tests ahead of India's tour of England. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that retirement from Tests is the only thing that has changed for Virat Kohli, dismissing suggestions that the modern batting great and Rohit Sharma might have been pushed into bidding adieu to the longest format.

"The only thing that has changed is that he has retired from Tests. A question was asked yesterday that they have been pushed. I am wondering whether anyone can push Virat Kohli, that he and Rohit Sharma were pushed into retirement after scoring so many runs," he said (2:40).

The cricketer-turned-commentator opined that it was the duo's individual call, similar to the one they had taken after India's 2024 T20 World Cup triumph.

"They would have thoughtfully taken retirement after the T20 World Cup. No one asked a question. After that, the Champions Trophy and IPL happened, and they said they didn't want to go to England and they took retirement. If you decide, it's your call. It's not like someone is stopping them from speaking out if something is not right. They are superstars. So I am not buying that," Chopra observed.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma announced their T20I retirement after India ended their 11-year wait for an ICC title at the 2024 T20 World Cup. The duo quit Tests ahead of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy and are available to play internationally only in the ODI format.