How did Australian team end careers of three Indian cricketers?

Virat Kohli — How did Australian team end careers of three Indian cricketers?. (Photo source: X)

India and Australia have had one of the fiercest rivalries in world cricket. In recent years, they have been two of the most successful teams in world cricket, having won multiple ICC events and expanded their trophy cabinet.

In 2023, India and Australia met in the finals of the World Test Championship (WTC) and the ODI World Cup. The Men in Yellow emerged victorious in both the marquee matches. However, India defeated Australia in the Super Eight stage of the 2024 T20 World Cup and semi-finals of the 2025 Champions Trophy to exact their revenge.

However, in recent times, performances against Australia have directly or indirectly prompted legendary players to retire. But how? Let’s find out:

Ravichandran Ashwin

India’s second-highest wicket-taker in international cricket, Ravichandran Ashwin, retired midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-2025. He finished with 765 wickets from 287 matches across the three formats. He wasn’t picked in the playing XI for the first Test, as India went in with Washington Sundar as the sole spinner. The youngster bagged two wickets. In the second game, however, Ashwin replaced Sundar in the side. The veteran didn’t get to bowl in the second innings and only managed one wicket in the first.

Ashwin was left out of the side for the third Test. On the final day, he revealed his decision to retire. Sundar had emerged as the highest wicket-taker in the preceding series against New Zealand. He took 16 wickets from two Tests. Meanwhile, Ashwin bagged nine from three Tests. The 38-year-old would have understood that his Tamil Nadu mate, Sundar, was ready for the rigours of the longest format, and he decided not to prolong his career.

Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma had been having a torrid time in red-ball cricket before he decided to retire from Tests ahead of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025. Under his leadership, India were whitewashed by New Zealand at home in 2024. This was India’s first Test series defeat on home soil in 12 years. Rohit only managed 91 runs in six innings at an average of 15.16.

Things went from bad to worse on the subsequent Australian series. Rohit relinquished his opening spot in the second Test after taking paternity leave from the first. The Mumbai cricketer batted at No. 6 in the second and third Tests but couldn’t make any impact. In the fourth Test, he moved back up to open the batting. However, success eluded him. He only managed 31 runs in five innings at an average of 6.20. In the final Test, he dropped himself from the XI. The Asian giants lost the series 1-3. During the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, he confirmed his retirement from the traditional format.

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli had been struggling to live up to his potential in Test cricket for a considerable amount of time before he decided to hang up his boots. From 2020 to 2024, Kohli averaged below 29.00 in each year apart from 2024. In the home Test series against New Zealand, the right-handed batter only managed 93 runs from six innings at an average of 15.50.

In the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-2025, Kohli started with a century in the first Test. However, his form dipped alarmingly in the games to follow, and he ultimately finished with an average of 23.75 in the five-Test series. Kohli, one of the finest Indian batters of all time, played 123 Tests and scored 9230 runs at an average of 46.85. He announced his Test retirement on May 12, in the middle of IPL 2025.

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