Srinagar: India legend Kapil Dev has termed Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as “irreplaceable” as the duo stepped aside from T20I cricket after India lifted T20 World Cup 2024.
Kapil Dev believes that they hold the same status as Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni in Indian cricket.
“No one can take Virat and Rohit’s place in the Indian team in any format. They have been a huge servant of Indian cricket and it was a happy farewell for them. The stature that Virat has made of himself in all formats, he will surely be missed in T20Is. Both are as same as Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni. They are irreplaceable,” Kapil Dev was quoted by IANS.
After India’s T20 World Cup win, Kohli announced his retirement immediately during a post-match ceremony saying that it is time for the next generation to take over. On the other hand, Rohit Sharma confirmed during a post-match press conference that he, too, is quitting the shorter format.
Kohli ended his 125-match T20I career as India’s second-highest run-scorer in the format — 4,188 at an average of 48.69 and strike rate of 137.04.
Meanwhile, Rohit departed from the format as its highest scorer — 4,231 runs in 159 matches — and also holds the record for the most centuries (five) in T20 internationals. He won two T20 World Cup titles: the inaugural one as a player in 2007 and now as captain in 2024.