Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma are set to feature in IND vs WI ODIs. PC- AFPFor some, cricket hasn't been the same since Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired from two out of the three international formats. However, former Indian opener Virender Sehwag disagrees. The two Indian legendary batters will soon be in action as Team India gets set for the ODIs against West Indies, as they only play the 50-over format. Both Rohit and Virat retired from the shortest format on a high, but they were somewhat forced to hang up their boots from the longest format. Virender Sehwag dismisses viewership concerns after Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma's retirementAhead of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's return to the Indian fold, Virender Sehwag has shared his perspective. While answering whether the ODI retirement of RoKo would leave an impact on the viewership, Sehwag told News18, "Log kehte zaroor hain, unke fans kehte hain ki hum Virat Kohli ke liye cricket dekhte hain ya Rohit Sharma ke liye dekhte hain. Par aisa toh Sunil Gavaskar ke liye bhi kaha jata tha, Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar ke liye bhi kaha jata tha." (Fans do say that they only watch cricket for Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma, but the same used to be said for Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Sachin Tendulkar). Also Read: Ajit Agarkar Decisions That Caused A Stir, But Proved Beneficial In The Long Run“So, to say that if this player retires, we won’t watch cricket anymore, maybe some of their fans won’t. I have also heard people say, ‘You stopped playing, so we stopped watching,’ but that’s not really the case. They probably still watch a little bit," he added."Agar cricketers se hi game chal rahi hoti, toh ab tak band ho jati". (If the game were run solely by cricketers, it would have shut down by now). Is broadcaster missing Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma due to viewership dip?Although Virender Sehwag's comments come from a practical place, the broadcasters have seen a dip in numbers since the retirement of the two legendary figures, such as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Meanwhile, the numbers also go through the roof when these two return for an ODI assignment for the Men in Blue. That said, the BCCI is currently struggling to find buyers for the title sponsors, partly because Virat and Rohit play a limited number of games and the other players don't have that strong pull. Why Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma are important for 2027 WC?With the two batters picked for the Indian squad for the West Indies series, it's almost certain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli won’t go anywhere until the 2027 World Cup, and the duo are grinding hard for it. With the next marquee event around the corner, Team India will bank on their experience, especially as it is scheduled to be played on tough and juicy tracks in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. India’s record in South Africa leaves room for improvement. They have won just 24 of their 59 ODIs in the country and are yet to play a 50-over international in Namibia. Zimbabwe has been a much happier hunting ground, with India winning 26 of their 34 ODIs there. Overall, India’s ODI win percentage is 53.2%.Also Read: Gautam Gambhir Addresses Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya’s Fragile Fitness Woes
