ENG vs IND: Kapil Dev Lashes Out At Indian Cricket Fans For Obsession Over Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma: 'No Point Thinking About Who Isn't Around'

Shubman Gill-led Team India will take on England in the first Test match of the series, from June 20th, at Headingley in Leeds.

India's upcoming tour of England hold a lot of importance as it's the first Test series after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's retirement from red-ball cricket.

Earlier in May, Rohit Sharma took to his Instagram handle and announced his retirement from Test cricket. Just a few days later, Virat Kohli also hung up his boots in the long format.

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Shubman Gill To Lead Team India In England Test Series

The sudden retirement of Virat and Rohit from Test cricket caused a lot of headaches for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The cricket administrative body called up many youngsters to the squad to fill Rohit and Kohli's void.

It was BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar, who attended the press conference in Mumbai and named Shubman Gill as the new Test captain of Team India.

Shubman Gill made his debut in the long format against Australia in 2020. The 25-year-old played 32 Test matches and 59 innings, scoring 1893 runs at an average of 35.05.

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Kapil Dev Hits Out At Indian Cricket Fans Ahead Of England Series

While speaking to Aaj Tak, former World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev said that it's not just Virat or Rohit but other cricket legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, MS Dhoni, and others are also not present in the team.

He also wanted the Indian cricket fans to move on from the Kohli and Rohit era, saying that there's no point in thinking about who isn't around. Kapil Dev further added that it's time for the younger generation to take charge.

"Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and Anil Kumble aren’t there either. So, there's no point thinking about who isn't around. Yes, they will be missed, but we need to look at the next generation and be proud of them. Rohit has done his job; Virat has done his job. They made us proud, but let's see if the next generation of players can be bigger," Kapil Dev said on Aaj Tak.

India talisman batter Virat Kohli played 123 Test matches and 210 innings, amassing 9230 runs at an average of 46.85. Kohli made his red-ball debut in 2011 against the West Indies. The 36-year-old's last Test match was against Australia in the Sydney Test in 2025.

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma made his Test debut in 2013 against the West Indies. Rohit played 67 Test matches and 116 innings, amassing 4301 runs at an average of 40.57. Rohit's last Test game was against Australia in the Melbourne Test in 2024.