Chris Gayle encourages Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to stay in Test cricket, saying, “Don’t push them out.”

Ahead of the forthcoming Test series in England, Chris Gayle, a former cricketer for the West Indies, defended India’s mainstays, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. There are rumours that the Board is not going to put them in the squad, which is why they are not on the team.

There have been reports that Rohit won’t be playing in the series due to his current form, but nothing has been proven as of yet. Kohli will play in the Test series, though. After struggling to score runs in Australia in December 2024, the red-ball captain rested for the final game. Kohli’s entire series, meanwhile, wasn’t very good.

Kohli struggled with the bat for the remainder of the series, even though he scored a century in the opening game. Despite having a stellar record in Australia, he was unable to demonstrate his full talent this time around, managing just 190 runs in ten innings.

In support of both batters, Chris Gayle stated that they ought to be given an opportunity in the forthcoming series.

“These guys still have a lot of cricket left in them, so of course they are still playing. Avoid pushing them away. Those men are desperately needed in the cricket world. It is wonderful that they are still in existence. They continue to add significant value to international cricket. According to Chris Gayle, who was reported by NDTV, “there will always be someone after them, but the longer they are around, the better for the cricketing world.”

During the 2024–25 season, Kohli amassed 382 runs in 10 games at an average of 22.87, including a century and fifty each, while Rohit amassed just 164 runs in eight games at an average of 10.93, with the highest score of 52.

26 days after the IPL concludes, on June 20, the England tour kicks off in Leeds, providing the players ample time to recover, reassemble, and prepare for the series.