Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s decision to retire from Test and T20 cricket marked the end of an important era for Indian cricket. With the pair no longer part of two formats, questions naturally emerged over whether the format could lose some of its following. Former India opener Virender Sehwag, however, does not share those concerns. He believes Indian cricket has repeatedly shown that fan interest can survive the departure of even its biggest stars.

Sehwag Points To Past India Greats

Speaking to News18, Sehwag argued that similar predictions were made whenever iconic names left the international stage.

"People do say that they watch cricket just for Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma. But the same thing used to be said for Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Sachin Tendulkar,"

The former opener suggested that the continued popularity of the sport across generations is evidence that audiences do not stop following cricket simply because a particular superstar retires.

"Yet, people are still watching as much cricket as they used to before. In fact, more people are watching now because earlier it used to come on TV, but now it is available on mobile phones.

It has become even easier,"

Indian Test Cricket Enters New Era

Kohli and Rohit have now been away from Test cricket for over a year, leaving India to rebuild its red-ball side around a younger core.

Shubman Gill has taken over as captain during the transition, becoming one of the key figures in India’s next phase of Test cricket.

The change means fans are now getting used to seeing a Test side without two players who were central to India’s red-ball story for years.

Yet Sehwag believes the sport’s audience will continue to evolve along with the team.

Technology has also transformed the way fans consume cricket. Unlike previous generations, today’s audiences can follow matches, highlights and analysis on smartphones, making access far easier than when television was the primary option.

Yet Sehwag believes the sport’s audience will continue to evolve along with the team.

Technology has also transformed the way fans consume cricket. Unlike previous generations, today’s audiences can follow matches, highlights and analysis on smartphones, making access far easier than when television was the primary option.