Having officially entered the twilight of their prolific careers after calling it quits from the Test format in May this year, the international future of India stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli has remained under a cloud. India’s Test transition moved forward without much hassle on the batting front without Rohit and Kohli in the recently-concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy as the team’s new Test captain Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant recorded their best aggregates yet in a Test series.
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With India only slated to play an ODI fixture in October in Australia and the next World Cup still a good two years away, it remains if both Rohit and Kohli can make it that far. The duo will be aged 40 and 39 respectively, should they continue to be backed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Indian team management helmed by Gautam Gambhir, to feature in the World Cup. Reports have also suggested that ODI skipper Rohit may soon be asked to relinquish the position to enable Gill’s ascent as the next 50-overs captain in the road to the 2027 World Cup.
‘No dependable No. 1 and 3’
However, former India cricketer Suresh Raina believes both giants of white-ball cricket have still a lot left in the tank, and their expertise in the one-day format will be vital for both Gill and Team India before the World Cup.
“India don’t have dependable players at No. 1 and No. 3 (in ODIs) at the moment, especially when chasing,” Raina told in an inteview with Telecom Asia Sport.
“Rohit and Virat’s experience is very important. It’s crucial for the seniors to stay involved with the juniors. Shubman (Gill) has done really well, but he needs players like Virat and Rohit,” the 2011 World Cup winner added.
Only five months back, Rohit and Kohli dumped the memories of a poor Border-Gavaskar Trophy tour to Australia with inimitable performances in the Champions Trophy in the UAE. While Rohit top-scored and was adjudged player of the match in a victorious final over New Zealand, Kohli set up the semi-final win over Australia with his 84-run knock while also scoring a match-winning ton against Pakistan.
“They have won the Champions Trophy, they have won the World Cups. Virat won the last IPL also. For the astute leadership they have shown during their respective careers, they need to be part of the dressing room,” Raina added.
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When will Rohit and Kohli play for India next?
With India set to feature in the T20 Asia Cup and subsequent home Test matches in September, Rohit and Kohli may only return to international duties in October during the Men in Blue’s tour of Australia for three ODIs and T20Is. The one-day leg of the series is set to begin on October 19 in Perth, with subsequent matches in Adelaide and Sydney.
India’s top ODI run-scorers this decade (since 2020)
