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India's fast-bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur reckons that skipper Rohit Sharma and batting great Virat Kohli might have announced their retirement from Tests, knowing that they won't be able to contribute or drive the format as before. Rohit and Virat announced their Test retirement ahead of India's upcoming red-ball series against England. Team India are scheduled to play a five-Test match series against England, which will start from June 20.
Rohit and Virat announced their Test retirement on May 7 and 12, respectively, a month before the upcoming England tour. The batters have been crucial to the Test team for the past few years as India reached the World Test Championship final twice. Shardul, who featured in both Rohit and Virat's captaincy, said that decisions by Kohli and Rohit are personal. The all-rounder went on to say that the presence of the duo did offer a lot of protection for the others on the side, and having a good mix of youth and experience provides good results.
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“They are the most senior figures in the game, but such decisions are personal. It comes when they feel they can’t contribute or drive the format as before,” Thakur said as quoted by IndiaToday.
“There is a great deal of protection when senior players are around, and having a good mix of senior and junior players in the team provides flourishing results.”
Shardul also opened up on the role of Jadeja in the team since the veteran Rohit and Virat duo have already retired. The all-rounder said that the upcoming tour will test everyone, including the new leaders in the team.
“Jaddu is now the most experienced. This tour will test everyone, with new responsibilities, including leadership roles.”
“It’s a fresh challenge, but we have the talent. Young players must seize this opportunity to build their own legacy,” Shardul said.
After Rohit's retirement, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced Shubman Gill as his successor to lead India in the upcoming Test assignment and Rishabh Pant will be his deputy.
| India vs England five-match Test series full schedule | ||||
| Test | Date | Venue | City | Time |
| 1st | 20th June | Headingley | Leeds | 3:30 PM IST |
| 2nd | 2nd July | Lord's cricket ground | London | 3:30 PM IST |
| 3rd | 10th July | Emirates Old Trafford | Manchester | 3:30 PM IST |
| 4th | 23rd July | Edgbaston | Birmingham | 3:30 PM IST |
| 5th | 31st July | Kennington Oval | London | 3:30 PM IST |
India squad for England series
Shubman Gill(C), Rishabh Pant(vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Parishdh Krishna, Akashdeep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.
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