When Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirement from Test cricket, cricket fans worldwide were stunned. But former India opener Aakash Chopra has ignited a fiery debate by saying they chose the wrong format to quit.
A Format Swap He Would Have Preferred
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra delivered a daring opinion: he believes Rohit and Kohli should have retired from ODIs, not Tests.
“They have said goodbye to the wrong format… six Tests give you around 30 days of cricket, while six ODIs only six days,” he explained. “You’re not playing anything in between the IPL and the next ODI.”
For Chopra, stepping away from Tests means losing a chance to finish in cricket’s most prestigious format — a stage where legends are remembered forever.
Why Chopra Thinks They Walked Away Too Soon
This isn’t just about two players. Chopra is raising a bigger question: in an era where ODIs are becoming rare, how do senior cricketers decide which formats to keep playing?
With fewer matches and long gaps between them, ODIs make it harder for even elite players to maintain form. Test cricket, meanwhile, still offers both tradition and regular game time, enough to keep the rhythm intact.
ODI Records That Make This Take So Surprisingly
Here’s a quick snapshot of their ODI careers so far:
| Player | Matches | Runs | Avg | 100s | Best Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 302 | 14,181 | 57.88 | 51 | 183 |
| Rohit Sharma | 272 | 11,168 | 48.76 | 32 | 264 |
(Stats: ICC)
Those numbers make Chopra’s bold opinion all the more surprising — these aren’t the stats of players struggling in ODIs; they’re records of dominance.
Cricket Fans Can’t Agree on This One
On social media, reactions are split right down the middle.
One fan tweeted, “Tests are where legends live forever — quitting them now feels premature.” Others counter, “Tests demand too much physically; focusing on white-ball cricket is a smart strategy.”
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