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The cricket fans recently witnessed the end of a glorious era as both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirements from Test cricket ahead of the five-match Test series against England. Rohit was the first to call time on his red-ball career via a heartfelt Instagram post, and five days later, Kohli followed suit with his own announcement, marking the end of two distinguished careers in the longest format.
South African great declares Rohit Sharma technically better than Virat Kohli after their Test retirements
Following their retirement, an intense debate sparked across social media platforms, comparing the playing techniques and legacies of the two Indian greats. One particular X user drew attention by sharing two contrasting video clips that highlighted how Rohit and Kohli deal with spin bowling.
“This is the real difference between them. Kohli tries to play the same type of shot every time even if he gets out doing it. He doesn’t elevate his game. But Rohit literally tries different kinds of shots every time, even in his worst form. Kohli doesn’t have that ability to adapt, but Rohit does. That’s why Rohit has succeeded in playing fine Test cricket even after his mid-30s,” a fan wrote on X.
This is the real difference between them,Kohli tries to play the same type of shot every time even if he gets out doing it He doesn't elevate his game But Rohit literally tries different kinds of shots every time, even in his worst form. Kohli doesn't have that ability to adapt,… pic.twitter.com/QWdjporEfg
— poetvanity (@PoetVanity_) May 14, 2025
The post quickly gained traction, and sparked conversations not only among fans but also with former cricketers. Reacting to the tweet, former South Africa batter Herschelle Gibbs stepped in with his own take, initially suggesting that a batter’s adaptability often comes down to coaching.
“It’s up to the batting coach to give him more options to score no matter who the batter is… thank me later,” Gibbs replied.
Also READ: South Africa’s head coach picks opening pair for the WTC 2025 final against Australia
It’s up to the batting coach to give him more options to score no matter who the batter is.. thank me later 🤷♂️ https://t.co/4eG3KAT9OT
— Herschelle Gibbs (@hershybru) May 14, 2025
However, the conversation didn’t end there. Another X user posed a direct question to Gibbs, asking:
“What do you think, which batsman is technically correct among the two??, another fan asked.
To this, Gibbs responded with a bold opinion that stirred further debate:
“Rohit was always more technically correct than Virat, but Virat’s desire to dominate, especially in white-ball format, is a major difference between the 2 batters,” Gibbs boldly stated.
Rohit was always more technically correct than virat but virats desire to dominate especially in white ball format is a major difference between the 2 batters
— Herschelle Gibbs (@hershybru) May 14, 2025
Fan disagrees but Gibbs doubles down with sharp retort
Not everyone agreed with Gibbs’ assessment. One fan strongly disagreed, writing:
“I disagree with you on that. Virat technically is much better as compared to Rohit. Remember, Rohit has been shifted up and down quite a lot. Even today I’m not sure of which position he was comfortable to bat in Tests,”
In response, Gibbs defended his original stance, pointing to Kohli’s well-documented struggles outside off-stump and contrasting it with Rohit’s compact technique.
“You ever see Rohit defend balls on the 4th or 5th stump? How many times did Virat get out doing just that? Rohit definitely technically better than Virat,” Gibbs concluded.
You ever see Rohit defend balls on 4th or 5th stump ? How many times did virat get out doing just that ? Rohit definitely technically better than virat
— Herschelle Gibbs (@hershybru) May 14, 2025
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