As Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retire from Test cricket, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has reassured fans that there’s no need to panic. Drawing a comparison to India’s past transition after the retirement of the legendary Fab Four, Manjrekar believes the team will recover and rise once again.
Both Kohli and Rohit, two of India’s greatest modern-day batters, announced their retirement within days of each other. This has created a leadership and experience gap, especially ahead of the crucial five-match Test series in England next month.
Lessons From Fab Four’s Retirement
In a video shared on Instagram, Manjrekar recalled a similar situation India faced when Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, and Sourav Ganguly stepped away from the game. Despite initial concerns, India managed to become the No. 1 Test team within a few years under Virat Kohli’s captaincy.
“There was panic when the Fab Four quit, but India became No. 1 soon after. That shows the strength of our domestic system and young talent,” Manjrekar said.
India Will Discover New Stars
Manjrekar highlighted India’s massive talent pool, saying that as long as cricket remains popular and competitive in the country, there will always be players ready to step up.
“As long as thousands of youngsters dream to play for India, we will continue producing quality cricketers,” he added.
He also pointed out how the earlier transition saw the rise of India’s bowling unit, which helped the team succeed globally. He believes something similar could happen again.
A New Era Begins
India’s squad for the England tour will not include Kohli, Rohit, or Ravichandran Ashwin for the first time in more than a decade. This marks the beginning of a new era in Indian Test cricket.
But as Manjrekar said, this is a natural part of the sport’s cycle. New leaders and stars will emerge—and India will remain a top team in world cricket.
Stay tuned for all the latest Cricket news, match highlights, player analysis, and viral moments!