Mathews reminisced about his experiences playing against Rohit Sharma from their Under-19 days, acknowledging Rohit’s exceptional talent and potential from an early age.He also commended Virat Kohli for taking over the mantle from Rohit and delivering outstanding performances for India for over a decade and a half.
“I have played against Rohit from Under-19s. I have seen from those days what he is capable of. And Virat took over after Rohit from Under-19s. Virat has been amazing for India for over a decade and a half. Both of them are amazing players, modern-day greats, and legends of the game. And I wish them all the very best,” Mathews said in an interaction on Star Sports.
Another Sri Lankan veteran, Dinesh Chandimal, shared his perspective on Rohit and Kohli’s retirement from T20I cricket after India’s triumph in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
“I think it was the right time to retire (from T20Is) after winning the World Cup. As a senior player, you wish to have that. So I think they made the right decision. It’s going to take some time to fill their shoes because they have so much experience playing T20 cricket especially. India have so much young talent. So, I am sure they will take their hands up and do their performance,” Chandimal stated.
Thisara Perera, who had the opportunity to play alongside Rohit Sharma at the Mumbai Indians franchise, provided insights into Rohit’s personality off the field.
“I played with Rohit when I played in Mumbai Indians. He is a really good guy. As a human being, he is really nice because he always shares his thoughts with local guys and even overseas players,” Perera added.
The 2024 T20 World Cup marked the culmination of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s illustrious T20I careers. Rohit led India’s batting charge, amassing 257 runs and emerging as the team’s highest scorer, while Kohli played a pivotal role with a match-winning knock of 76 runs in the final against South Africa, earning him the Player of the Match award.
As India prepare to face Sri Lanka in an upcoming limited-overs series, there is speculation that Kohli and Rohit could potentially make a comeback for these matches.