Champions Trophy will be Kohli, Rohit, and Jadeja’s last ICC event: Aakash Chopra

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra believes that the upcoming Champions Trophy, starting on February 19, will mark the final ICC event for India’s experienced trio—Virat Kohli, captain Rohit Sharma, and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. With increasing speculation surrounding their potential retirement, Chopra feels the three senior players are unlikely to wait until India’s next ICC event, the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Kohli, Rohit, and Jadeja had already announced their retirements from T20Is following India’s triumphant 2024 T20 World Cup campaign. This decision sparked further discussions about whether they would also call time on their ODI careers, at least in ICC tournaments, after the Champions Trophy. In his recent YouTube video, Chopra explained how the tournament presents an ideal opportunity for the trio to conclude their ICC careers. Given their age and career trajectories, he suggested it would be unrealistic for them to aim for the 2027 ODI World Cup, especially aftermissing out on the 2025 World Test Championship Final.

“After that, the ICC event next year is the T20 World Cup but all three have retired from that format. So all three won’t play there as well. The ODI World Cup will be in 2027, which is a bit too far. The world will look very different by 2027. I think the players also feel this could be their last,” he added.

At 36 years old, Kohli and Jadeja, alongside the 37-year-old Rohit, have been pillars of Indian cricket for over a decade. Their contributions in ICC tournaments have been significant, even though recent performances in Test cricket have raised concerns. However, their strong showings in India’s ODI series win over England indicate that they still have plenty to offer in the Champions Trophy.