Koi 'Ro-Ko' Na: In Triumph And Retirement, Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli Stick Together

As characters, they are like chalk and cheese just as any 'vada pao' loving Mumbaikar and a 'chhole-bhature' craving Delhiite are expected to be. But for every graceful cover drive, there is always a pull shot executed with panache, and that's why Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, for the last decade and half, have complemented each other -- in dejection, triumph and now in T20 International retirement. Together, they make the word contrast come alive -- Kohli bringing in the darker shades with his dogged intensity in pursuit of excellence and Rohit with those pastel shades which manifest calm amid the storm.

Their reactions immediately after the T20 World Cup triumph painted a thousand pictures.

Rohit, first on his haunches and then lying on the ground, had tear-filled eyes throughout. Kohli, on the other hand, quietly walked back towards the dressing room, trying hard to conceal the emotions that he was feeling. He was trying to soak in the festivities but was slightly detached too.

However, there was one common thread that continued to bind them -- genuine respect for each other's craft and achievements.

And that's one reason why they respect each other's space. Rohit very well knew that Kohli had decided to call it quits from the format irrespective of the result.

As his colleague of nearly 16 years declared his decision at the post-match presentation, the skipper allowed him the stage and the moment without speaking a word about his own future plans.

He did it in his own inimitable style at the press conference answering what was one of the last questions of the interaction.

Kohli seemed to have decided it much in advance.

"This was an open secret, it's time for the next generation to take over. Win or lose, I was going