“Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma retired from Tests due to internal politics” - Ex-India star accuses BCCI

Concerns about possible internal politics within the BCCI have been raised by the abrupt departure of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from Test cricket in May 2025. Former Indian cricket player Karsan Ghavri has recently asserted that the board ejected both seniors.

Only a few days before the highly anticipated Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy match against England, Kohli and Rohit declared their intention to abandon the red-ball format. Many thought the move would have been prompted by their poor performance against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but a new revelation has caused a stir in Indian cricket.

Karsan Ghavri, the former pacer for India, has now commented, implying that the two did not leave on their own volition. Ghavri claimed on the Vickey Lalwani Show that two of India's most well-known players were forced out due to "internal politics" within the BCCI and the selection panel, which was chaired by Ajit Agarkar.

"He [Kohli] should have definitely continued playing for India easily, probably for another couple of years. But something really forced him to retire. And unfortunately, when he retired, he was not even given a farewell by the BCCI. Such a great player who has done such great service.. should be given a grand farewell," he said.

The first person to declare retirement was Rohit, who announced his resignation from the Indian whites in a casual Instagram story. News of Kohli's letter to the BCCI expressing his desire to retire from Test cricket surfaced two days later. And he officially announced it on Instagram in the following 48 hours. 

Everyone was startled by their choice, and supporters started to conjecture that they had been kicked off the team. The 74-year-old Ghavri went on record to say that the decision-makers did not want to see Rohit and Kohli play any more Test cricket and that they were ordered to leave despite their protests.

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where unbeaten India defeated New Zealand in the final to win the trophy at Dubai International Stadium in Dubai, was Rohit and Virat's last international appearance.

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