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New Delhi: Former India head coach Greg Chappell paid a glowing tribute to star batting duo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for their contribution to cricket even at the sunset stage of their careers.

Rohit and Kohli are playing in their last tour of Australia in a three-match ODI series and Chappell said their legacy isn’t defined only by the number of runs they have scored in international cricket.

“Now, as the cricketing world moves forward, new names will rise. New captains will lead. But this golden chapter – the Kohli-Rohit era – will remain engraved not just in record books but in the hearts of every fan who understood what they stood for,” Chappell wrote in on ESPNCricinfo.

The former Australia skipper observed that Kohli isn’t merely a batting great but a warrior, keen to win, be it home or away, and wasn’t interested in stat-padding his career.

“Kohli was never just a batter, he was a movement. He brought what few dared to – a warrior’s mindset. He turned India’s ODI side into a sharp, focused and supremely fit unit that played to win, home or away,” he said.

“Kohli’s passion, his refusal to settle, his belief in legacy over statistics. Rohit’s elegance, his humility, and his redemption arc, which reminded us all that timing is everything – in cricket, and in life.

“But what truly set him (Kohli) apart, even from the legends who came before him, was his detachment from personal statistics. While the world raved about centuries and aggregates, Kohli cared only about the outcome.

“He once said that he played for India, not for records – a statement that defined his leadership. Individual feats were often the focal point of India’s cricketing narrative; Kohli sought something larger. His currency was legacy, not numbers,” Chappell wrote.

Rohit had a different career trajectory to Kohli but what stood out for him was his belief even when he was told to open the innings, which he grabbed with both hands.

“Where Kohli’s rise was meteoric and defined by intensity, Rohit’s journey was more about a slow-burn path to greatness. For years he dazzled in limited-overs cricket; his timing, poise and flair made him a household name,” Chappell wrote.

“But it didn’t come easy: though he made his debut in 2007, inconsistency and middle-order struggles kept him from cementing a place, especially in big tournaments.

“Then came 2013. Promoted to open during a home series against England, he seized the opportunity with quiet confidence. There was a double-century against Australia. Elegant hundreds, of which the first came also against Australia that year,” Chappell remembered.

“Sudden comfort against the swinging ball. Something had changed – not just in technique but in belief. What followed was one of the most remarkable second winds in Indian cricket. Rohit didn’t just adapt to ODI cricket, he conquered it.”