India have huge talent to fill big shoes of Kohli and Rohit: Anderson

Kohli and Rohit, legends of Indian batting, bid farewell to Test cricket within a week of each other. Having already stepped away from T20Is last year, the duo will now only feature in ODIs for India.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma
Press Trust of India London
2 min read Last Updated : May 14 2025 | 12:52 PM IST

England pace great James Anderson feels India's next generation of batters have the aggression and fearlessness to step into the "big shoes" of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the Test team.

Kohli and Rohit, legends of Indian batting, bid farewell to Test cricket within a week of each other. Having already stepped away from T20Is last year, the duo will now only feature in ODIs for India.

Kohli ended his inspiring run in the traditional format, scoring 9230 runs from 123 matches with 30 hundreds at an average of 46.85, while Rohit accumulated 4301 runs from 67 Tests at an average of 40.57 and has 12 centuries and 18 fifties to his name.

"Great players. Kohli, one of the greatest Test batters that's ever been," Anderson said on 'talkSPORT'.

The twin retirements mean India will not only have a new captain at the helm but will be without two of their most experienced players.

"There will be a new captain because Sharma has retired, There's big shoes to fill there but they've got a huge amount of talent in their squad," Anderson added.

Anderson praised the new crop of Indian batters for their attacking mindset.

"You just have to watch the IPL. They are bringing players into Test cricket from the IPL now who are just so attacking, aggressive, and fearless," he said.

England are scheduled to host India for a five-match Test series starting June 20, which is also the beginning of the 2025-2027 World Test Championship cycle.

England will head to Australia for the marquee Ashes series later this year.

Anderson, however, warned against looking too far ahead and underestimating India.

"It's a huge year (for England) with the Ashes coming but it is important to get some momentum going.

"If I'm being honest, looking back at my career, that happened too much where, 18 months out from an Ashes the management and even the players starting to look towards that and actually forgetting what's in front of you," said Anderson, who has 704 wickets from 188 Test matches and 269 scalps from 194 ODIs.

"India is going to be such a tough challenge even at home. They are a strong side," said Anderson.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

Topics :India cricket teamJames AndersonIndia vs England

First Published: May 14 2025 | 12:51 PM IST

Next Story