Virat Kohli's retirement from Tests has left Indian cricket beleaguered and the sporting world gasping in surprise.Coming on the heels of captain Rohit Sharma quitting a few days earlier, it adds up to a double whammy for India who embark on a tough tour of England for a five-Test series come June without their two most experienced batters.

Despite announcing their retirement from both T20Is and Test cricket, Indian cricket stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will continue to hold their Grade A+ central contracts, confirmed Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia on Wednesday.

“He used to enjoy it because he used to love the gruelling challenge and he often encouraged the youngsters to follow his route to keep Test cricket from dying. He used to tell youngsters to earn the Test cap and it highly benefited Indian cricket,” concluded Kaif.