Published: Nov 20, 2025, 12:36 PM (IST)
Edited: Nov 20, 2025, 12:36 PM (IST)
Former Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary has made a significant claim, stating that star players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma wanted to continue playing Test cricket but were compelled to retire because of the poor environment of the team. A week before the five-match Test series against England, both Rohit and Kohli announced their retirement from the longest format.
Responding to head coach Gautam Gambhir’s remark that India’s transition phase contributed to the shock defeat in the first Test against South Africa, Tiwary argued that a team like India-given its enormous talent pool-does not need a “transition phase.” He added that despite their commitment to Test cricket, Rohit and Kohli were eased out under the pretext of an unnecessary transition.
“This whole “transition phase†talk—I don’t agree with it. India doesn’t need a transition. New Zealand or Zimbabwe need transition. Our domestic cricket is full of talented performers waiting for chances. Because of this unnecessary transition, our star players—like Virat and Rohit—who wanted to keep playing Test cricket and protect its sanctity, slowly stepped back because of the atmosphere created around them,†Tiwary told India Today.
“You cannot blame players’ technique after losing. As a coach, your job is to teach, not to blame. If the batters didn’t have solid defence, why weren’t they trained before the match? When he played, Gambhir himself was a good player of spin, so he should teach more. The results aren’t in India’s favour,†he added.
Meanwhile, India, have their backs against the wall after losing the first Test in Kolkata. They must win the second match in Guwahati to avoid losing a home Test series for the second time in a row. With the series on the line, it remains unclear what kind of surface India will opt for after a rank turner backfired in the series opener.
