Ajinkya Rahane warns Indian Test cricket suffers after wave of senior retirements

Former Indian Test captain Ajinkya Rahane said the national side is struggling because a group of senior players has retired in quick succession, including Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin and Cheteshwar Pujara. He told the Stick to Cricket podcast that Test cricket needs "7‑8 senior players and 2‑3 younger players" and urged selectors such as Gautam Gambhir to retain experienced talent to keep the format viable.

Rahane also cautioned against putting excessive pressure on emerging bowler‑batsman Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. He noted that the demands of the IPL differ from international cricket, saying, "It’s tough to say or comment on right now… the pressure when you represent your country is quite high." He advised that Sooryavanshi’s future in Test cricket should not be judged after only two IPL seasons.