BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla has cleared the air on the recent retirements of Indian cricket legends Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from the Test format, insisting that the Board never asked or pressured them to take the decision. speaking after a special meeting between the Indian men's and women's teams with UK King Charles III at St. James's Palace in London, Shukla stated that the retirement was entirely a personal call made by both players.

“They have retired themselves. We will always miss them; they are both great batsmen, and the good thing for us is that they are available for ODIs,” said Shukla in a conversation with ANI. “It is the policy of BCCI that we never tell any player to retire. We will always consider them as great batsmen,” he added, acknowledging the void left in the current squad during the ongoing five-match Test series against England.

While Rohit and Kohli’s presence is being sorely missed, the Indian teams had a memorable moment off the field when they met King Charles III at the royal palace. Captains Shubman Gill and Harmanpreet Kaur, along with team members and coaching staff, were in attendance. Shukla described the interaction as “historic” and noted that the King’s warm and informed engagement left a lasting impression on the players.

King Charles Asks About Akash Deep’s Sister, Siraj’s Dismissal

Shukla shared that King Charles had done remarkable “homework” before the meeting and surprised many with his attention to detail. “Players are very happy because he asked for all personal details of each player. He asked Saikia ji (BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia) and me about whether Arun Jaitley was my friend and what happened to him, and when I told him that he had died, he asked me to pay condolences to his family. He also asked about Akash Deep's sister's illness,” he revealed.

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#WATCH | London, UK | BCCI vice president Rajeev Shukla says, "...We are all feeling the absence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The decision to retire made by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli was their own. It is the policy of BCCI that we never tell any player to retire...We will… pic.twitter.com/4ShzHNG5W3

— ANI (@ANI) July 15, 2025

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In a short exchange with Shubman Gill, the King even brought up the final moments of India’s heartbreaking 22-run defeat in the third Test at Lord’s, highlighting Shoaib Bashir’s spinning delivery that bowled out Mohammed Siraj. Gill calmly responded, “It’s a game of cricket.”

Following the tragic stampede incident that unfolded during RCB's bus parade event on June 4, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had no alternative but to spring into action. Their main objective is now directed towards devising sophisticated crowd control measures to bolster public safety during team victory parades. In response to this sensitive issue, the governing body has mobilized a three-member committee who are now tasked with revamping the existing guidelines aimed at minimizing stampede-like incidents from happening in the future. 

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has been appointed as the chairperson, while Prabhtej Singh Bhatia will be the treasurer. Rajeev Shukla, the BCCI vice-president, will be the third member in that committee. 

See also: Following Bangalore stampede BCCI set to issue revised celebration guidelines

BCCI issues a statement on appointing a three-member committee

On June 14, 2025, the BCCI released a statement pertaining to RCB's victory day celebrations that had gone horribly wrong. In a bid to eliminate such mishaps going forward, the Apex body confirmed the formation of a committee that will be tasked with formulating robust crowd control guidelines in the interest of public safety. Considering the urgency of the issue, it is believed that the committee will have to adhere to an aggressive timeline and will need to get the job done in the next 15 days. 

"In light of the incident that occurred during the victory celebrations in Bengaluru, the Apex Council has decided to constitute a committee to formulate comprehensive guidelines aimed at preventing such occurrences in the future."

RCB's glory day turned into a shocking nightmare as 11 lives were lost and several others suffered significant injuries as the crowd went haywire to capture a glimpse of their superstars outside the M. Chinnaswamy stadium. To tackle this problem, the franchise announced a relief package of INR 10 lakhs to all the families who lost their loved ones during the stampede. 

In the meantime, the BCCI also finalized the schedule for the Indian domestic season this year. The dates for India's 2025-26 domestic season were finalized during the Apex Council Meeting. The domestic season will kick off with the Duleep Trophy, which will begin on August 28, 2025. The Ranji season will be split into two phases; the first will commence on October 15 and the other will begin on November 19. 

Rajiv Shukla, Former BCCI vice-presiden in Indian cricket, said something very nice about MS Dhoni. Mr. Shukla told everyone that the Chief and selectors who picked the players for the team sometimes had a tough time speaking to Dhoni. Dhoni was a very good captain and did things in his special style. Mr. Dhoni was vitally important to Indian cricket, but he didn't speak much, which made it hard for the player pickers to converse with him.

BCCI Selectors Struggled to Approach MS Dhoni: Rajiv Shukla

Ms Dhoni liked doing things his way, not how everyone else usually does them. Mr. Dhoni made important choices when playing cricket and was thoughtful and were independent when not playing. Dhoni was unfathomably proficient at understanding how a game was going and trusting his gut during matches, which made him a really special team captain.

Rajiv Shukla’s statement sheds light on how Dhoni maintained his space even within the cricketing system. “Even the BCCI selectors used to struggle with how to approach him,” Shukla mentioned, highlighting the former captain’s straightforward yet elusive nature.

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The Legacy of Captain Cool

Even the bcci selectors used to struggle with how to approach him : Rajiv Shukla #MSDhoni pic.twitter.com/eU5i1PXxgm

— Chakri Dhoni (@ChakriDhonii) February 2, 2025

Dhoni was a really great captain for India's cricket team. He helped India win some important tournaments ,We won the T20 World Cup in 2007, the ODI World Cup in 2011, and the Champions Trophy in 2013. Even when things were hard, Dhoni always stayed calm and showed everyone how to be a great captain. He's very well-known because he is so proficient at playing cricket even when it becomes really hard. While selectors may have struggled to approach him, his impact on Indian cricket remains unmatched. Even in retirement, his legacy continues to inspire the next generation of cricketers.