India’s veteran players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been offered post-retirement roles in the upcoming T20 competition. The offer has come from the European T20 Premier League, whose co-owner Abhishek Bachchan wants to include both the stars after they finish their international careers with India.
The entire focus of Kohli and Rohit is on the ODI World Cup 2027 to be held in South Africa. There is no clear decision yet on whether he will continue playing for India after the tournament or not. By then Kohli will be 40 years old and Rohit will be 41 years old, it seems unlikely that both will be able to progress at the international level even after the World Cup.
Please tell Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma when they will retire… – Abhishek Bachchan
European T20 Premier League co-owner Abhishek Bachchan has urged Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to join the league after they finish playing for India.
Speaking to sports journalist Vimal Kumar, Bachchan said that the league needs a prominent Indian player and said that Kohli or Rohit would be ideal faces. He said that ETPL should be his first stop before any other league after retirement.
“Please tell Virat and Rohit that when they retire they can come and play in the ETPL before any other league,” Bachchan said.
The first season of the ETPL is scheduled to take place later this year in August. The inaugural edition will feature three teams based in Amsterdam, Edinburgh and Belfast, with their official franchise names yet to be announced.
Foreign T20 leagues are keen on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, BCCI rules remain a hindrance
There has been demand for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in foreign T20 leagues for years. Tournaments like SA20, Caribbean Premier League and Big Bash League have shown interest in attracting Indian star players.
However, BCCI rules do not allow centrally contracted Indian cricketers to play in leagues outside the IPL. After retiring from international cricket in December 2024, Ravichandran Ashwin expressed interest in the Big Bash League, but his participation was ruled out due to injury.
When Dinesh Karthik joined Paarl Royals last season, the SA20 became the first foreign league to feature an Indian player.
This year the SA20 also appointed Sourav Ganguly as the head coach of Pretoria Capitals. League owners have expressed interest in signing MS Dhoni, but that is unlikely to happen as long as he continues to play in the IPL for Chennai Super Kings.
Virat Kohli shines, Rohit Sharma has to struggle to make India Stars comeback in ODI
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma played nine ODIs between October 2025 and January 2026, which included series against Australia, away to South Africa at home and against New Zealand at home. Their return to international cricket after almost seven months brought mixed results for both the batsmen.
Kohli performed brilliantly, especially in the home series against South Africa, where he scored two centuries and a half-century and was named Player of the Series. He continued his form against New Zealand and scored 240 runs in three matches, including a half-century and a century in the final ODI.
Sharma’s comeback was less consistent. He recorded a century and a half-century against Australia and added two fifties in the South Africa series. However, his form declined rapidly against New Zealand, where he managed only 61 runs in three matches.
Also read: Woman catches Rohit Sharma after huge security breach, shouts ‘help’ creates panic in Indore team hotel
