'Fans left with memories of you struggling' — Ex-India cricketer warns Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's legacies could take a hit

Divy Dubey

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'Fans left with memories of you struggling' — Ex-India cricketer warns Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's legacies could take a hit image

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India's ODI comeback for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli didn't go as planned in Perth. Both batsmen fell cheaply in the first ODI against Australia, where India's top order collapsed before slipping to a 7-wicket defeat.

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While the result itself was disappointing, former India cricketer Atul Wassan has voiced a sharper concern: that repeated struggles in the final phase of their careers could alter how fans remember two of India's greatest modern players.

Atul Wassan's warning on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's legacy

Speaking on Sports Now, Wassan cautioned that legends continuing to play through lean patches risk being remembered for their decline rather than their peak. He said that if great players extend their careers but fail to perform, the lasting memory for fans may no longer be dominance, but struggle.

"Can you imagine the fans will be left with these memories of your great players struggling? When somebody goes in their peak, that is a memory - that he was the best. But once you were in the peak and then you again put yourself out and you don't perform, then you will be remembered accordingly," Wassan said.

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He added that these late-career dips could overshadow earlier brilliance:

"So the last memory of you failing compared to past aura will be remembered more - those memories where you struggled and left."

Kohli and Rohit's tough outing in Perth ODI

Both batters endured forgettable returns in the series opener. Rohit Sharma scored just eight runs before edging a Josh Hazlewood delivery to slips, while Virat Kohli fell for an eight-ball duck against Mitchell Starc.

The dismissals exposed both players' early-season rust - Hazlewood's hard lengths troubled Rohit, while Starc once again exploited Kohli's weakness outside the off stump.

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India eventually folded for 136/9 in the rain-shortened contest, with Australia cruising home comfortably. While one poor game doesn't define legends, Wassan's comments reflect a growing sentiment - that managing exits and legacy is as much about timing as performance.

With two more ODIs to come in the series, both Kohli and Rohit will be eager to remind fans of the memories that made them icons in the first place.

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Staff Writer