Were Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma forced to Retire? BCCI official gives huge update in London

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Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, two stalwarts of Indian cricket, announced their Test retirement in quick succession before the start of the England series.

After reports of his removal from captaincy, Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from the longest format of the game. Virat Kohli followed soon, announcing his departure from red-ball cricket as well.

Their simultaneous exits raised eyebrows, prompting speculation about possible pressure from the BCCI, head coach Gautam Gambhir, or chief selector Ajit Agarkar. However, BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla laid those rumours to rest in a statement to ANI from London.

"I want to make it very clear once and for all. We are all feeling the absence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The decision to retire was made by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli on their own. It is the policy of BCCI that we never tell any player to retire. It was their call," said Shukla.

"They have taken retirement on their own. We will always respect them. We will always consider them as legendary batters. It's very good for us that both of them are available for ODIs," he added.

Despite their absence, the current Indian Test side-led by Shubman Gill, is putting up a commendable fight in England. While India trail 1-2 in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, they've managed to dominate more sessions than the hosts, a testament to the young team's grit and resolve.

The Lord's Test turned out to be a thriller, with England eventually scraping through by 22 runs. India's lower order, led by Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, nearly pulled off a miraculous win, only to fall short in the final hour.

The fourth Test is now set for Manchester, beginning Wednesday, July 23. With the series still alive, India will hope to keep their fight going, albeit without two of their greatest ever in whites.