Former India coach Ravi Shastri has said that batting greats Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will get a lot more clarity about their ODI future after the upcoming three-match series against Australia. The 63-year-old said that the duo’s future will depend on their form, fitness, and hunger, adding that the Australia tour was “very important” for both of them.
Both players retired from T20Is after winning the World Cup in 2024 and quit Test cricket in May this year, leaving them available to play only ODIs for India.
“That’s why they’re here (playing the ODI series against Australia). They’re part of the mix. It depends on their fitness, their hunger and, of course, form. So, I think this series is very important to see how they go.”
“They themselves will know by the end of this series how they feel and then it’s their call. (It’s) the same thing with Steve Smith (who retired from ODIs in March) from Australia’s point of view. At that age, you’ve got to enjoy it and (you’ve) still got to have the hunger.”
“But there’s no substitute for experience when it comes to the big games, as we saw in the Champions Trophy. Come the big games and the big boys step up,” Shastri told reporters in Sydney on Monday.
The former India coach also praised the youngsters within the setup currently, adding that Sharma and Kohli would be aware that they were pushing them.
“There’s some good young guns there in (Yashasvi) Jaiswal, there’s (Shubman) Gill, there’s Tilak Varma. (Varma’s) innings in that Asia Cup final was absolutely fantastic. A lot of good young talent and a lot of allrounders as well in Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel, so it’s a strong white-ball unit.
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“India is much stronger in white ball than the red ball. Rohit Sharma … Virat Kohli … they know that these youngsters are pushing them,” Shastri said.
The first ODI will take place at Perth on Sunday, followed by matches in Adelaide (October 23) and Sydney (October 25). The ODIs will be followed by five T20Is, starting in Canberra on October 29.
