Cricket is a team game and one of the oldest sports, played decade after decade. From Sir Don Bradman to the god of cricket, Sachin Tendulkar, cricket has produced many legends in every generation.
As of 2026, two of the global superstars of cricket, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, have already moved to the last phase of their cricketing careers. Both of them have already announced their retirement from international T20 right after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup against South Africa.
Both the legends left the shortest format of cricket when they were at the peak of their T20 career. Following their poor test performance in the India tour of England and the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, they both decided to take retirement form test cricket.
For the last two decades, Rohit and Virat didn’t just play cricket; they were the emotions of the fans and became the global brand. But after they retire from all formats of cricket, what will happen? We will discuss this in this article.
Future of Indian cricket
Every time a legend hangs up their boots, fans start claiming that they are not going to enjoy the sport as much as they did earlier. We have seen this in every generation, from Little Master Sunil Gavaskar to Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar in 2013.
When Sachin Tendulkar retired from international cricket, fans were in fear that they would not find a player who would take his place on the team and that India could not find a player who would take the responsibility of the team and play with a leadership attitude for the sake of the team.
But Virat Kohli stands there and takes the responsibility, and later Rohit Sharma is also included in the Indian team, and they both carry forward the legacy and make many records with their performance.
The Ro-Ko Legacy
Rohit’s and Virat’s legacy is unmatchable; they were the backbone of Indian cricket for the last two decades. Before Virat retires from Test cricket, he holds the record of being the Indian captain with the most Test victories (40) with over 9200+ runs, including 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries.
In T20 internationals, he scored 4,188 runs with 1 century and 38 half-centuries. Till April 2026, he scored 14797 runs with 54 centuries and 77 half-centuries in ODIs. On the other hand, Rohit Sharma holds a record of hitting the most number of sixes in international cricket (650). Rohit scored over 4000 runs in both Tests and T20Is and 11577 runs in ODIs with 33 centuries and 61 half-centuries under his belt.
Will cricket die after RO-KO retires from cricket?
The emotional factors make it sad for fans, but as per facts, cricket will not die after the retirement of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. There should be an emotional gap, but there are talented players like Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and others who will take that responsibility, just like Virat Kohli took after the retirement of Sachin Tendulkar.
The New Era of Cricket
Cricket is not just a normal sport right now; it has evolved in different ways. Unlike the previous era, where international cricket was the only source, they have now converted into franchise-based models like IPL, BBL, SA20, and others.
Now cricket will be included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, which will increase the value of the game through a wider audience. In the recent 2025 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, new teams like Italy participated, which also brought the viewership from European countries.
Cricket without Virat Kohli’s cover drive or Rohit Sharma’s pull shot feels quieter, but cricket is more than an individual sport. It will survive, and it will evolve even more.
