Boxing day test: Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma 1 run short of history amid retirement buzz

Ravichandran Ashwin's surprise retirement post the third Test against Australia sparks speculation on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma possibly retiring. The duo is close to a unique partnership across all formats.

Boxing day test: Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma 1 run short of history amid retirement buzz

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli

time

Indian spin maestro Ravichandran Ashwin shocked fans with his surprise retirement announcement on 18 December 2024 soon after the final day of the third Test against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The incident also sparked rumours that team veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma might retire soon as well.

The speculations on the Kohli-Sharma partnership’s possible retirement announcement gathered further steam ahead of the upcoming Boxing Day Test, the 4th in the current BGT series.

However, if any of the two famed faces do make such an announcement, it would be an unfortunate disaster considering they are just 1 run short of completing 1000 test partnership runs.

A 1000-run test partnership will make the Kohli-Sharma duo the sole cricket partnership to have scored 1000 runs or more across all three formats of the game.

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As of now, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have scored 999 runs across 26 test innings while also amassing 5280 runs across 95 ODI innings, and 1350 runs across 42 T20 International innings, as per statistics posted by Cric Tracker India.

In the current BGT Trophy matches, the duo’s batting has been under scrutiny, with Sharma averaging 11.69 in his last 11 innings and Kohli struggling with deliveries outside the off-stump. As such, social media is abuzz that a poor performance in the Boxing Day test will lead to any one or both of their retirement announcements, likely after the test series.

ALSO READ: Former India great raps Ravichandran Ashwin for his retirement amid Test series

Fortunately, fan reports on X (formerly Twitter) stated that Virat Kohli appeared in good form and spirits during practice sessions ahead of tomorrow’s test whereas Rohit Sharma declared that he would play for India as long as he is fit during the press conference after Ashwin’s retirement.

(Disclaimer: Retirement buzz of Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma is an ongoing social media speculation. OTV does not endorse or support any of those claims)

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