Overview
- Virat Kohli retired from Tests in May via Instagram, Rohit Sharma exited red-ball cricket days earlier, and Cheteshwar Pujara ended his career across all formats in August.
- Australia’s Steve Smith left ODIs in March to open space for 2027 World Cup preparation, Glenn Maxwell retired from ODIs on 2 June, and Mitchell Starc stepped away from T20s to prioritise Tests and the 2027 ODI event.
- Nicholas Pooran announced his retirement in June reflecting on the honour of leading West Indies, and South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen left international cricket the same month after the Champions Trophy.
- Bangladesh’s Mushfiqur Rahim retired from ODIs after his team’s Champions Trophy return, while New Zealand’s Martin Guptill ended his international career in January and Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews retired from Tests in May.
- The coverage frames the departures as an end-of-an-era transition across formats and teams, with the scale of exits expected to shape the sport’s next phase.