Is Chris Woakes Now in the Same League as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma?

Chris Woakes from all forms of international cricket on 29 September 2025. This means that his Test series against India was the last Test of his career, and he won't be playing for England in the Whites. However, his retirement seems to be forced on many cricket fans.

His retirement came soon after England had announced its squad for the upcoming Ashes. Since Woakes was not a part of the squad, fans assumed that his injury would have been the reason for excluding him from the team. But with his sudden retirement, they now think that the ECB must have forced him to retire. This sounds very similar to what happened with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma this year.

Chris Woakes, along with Mark Wood, played a crucial role for England in the 2023 Ashes. Since England was hosting the five-match Test series, Woakes was seen as an important player for them. He had been the star at home grounds, and fortunately, he was able to deliver upto the expectations.

Woakes finished as the second-highest wicket-taker in the series for England, just behind Stuart Broad. He also played just 3 Test matches in the series, and managing to take a four-wicket haul and a five-wicket haul, showcases his dominance. He even received the Player of the Match award in the final Test, which England won by 49 runs.

Woakes continued his performances for the English team in the Test matches. Fast forward to the India tour of England Test series, Woakes played as the team's primary pacer. Despite playing all five matches for the team, he was not able to deliver his best performance.

During the last match, Chris Woakes also suffered an injury in his shoulder due to which he was unlikely to play for the team. However, when he watched England standing inches close to the match and series win, he showcased his grit and stepped down the field.

Even after wearing a shoulder bag, Woakes stood at the non-striker's end, being available for the team when they needed him the most. Although England lost the game, Woakes had won hearts. With Woakes missing out on the Ashes in Australia, it must have been a forced retirement for him, noting the fact that the Australian pitches would have supported him a lot.

Rohit Sharma, former Indian captain, announced his retirement via Instagram stories. On the other hand, Virat Kohli also retired himself from this format a few days later, with an Instagram post. This is similar to what happened with Chris Woakes, as their respective teams decided to replace the iconic players without any proper farewell.