Former India wicketkeeper urges immediate impact from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli
The discussion surrounding the One Day International (ODI) future of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma continues, even as both players maintain their performance levels for India. Neither head coach Gautam Gambhir nor chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar has publicly confirmed their participation in the 2027 World Cup, which fuels ongoing speculation about their roles.
Recent events, such as India‘s 1-2 ODI series defeat against England, have intensified this conversation. Rohit Sharma responded to critics with a match-winning century in the series finale, marking his 34th ODI hundred. This performance came amidst reports suggesting the Lord’s fixture could have been his final international appearance. Virat Kohli also contributed with two half-centuries during the series, following a challenging start for both senior batters in the opening match.
Performance Expectations for Senior Players
Former India wicketkeeper-batter Deep Dasgupta has stated that there is no need to question the places of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the team. However, he emphasized the importance of both players making an immediate impact at the start of any series, rather than requiring time to find their rhythm.
Deep Dasgupta articulated this view on his YouTube channel, suggesting that this expectation should apply to all players, not just the two senior cricketers. He highlighted the challenge of starting a series strongly and hitting the ground running, noting that players cannot afford to take one or two games to get into the groove. He also mentioned the role of the support staff in fostering an environment that helps players perform optimally from the outset.
According to Dasgupta, the standards applied to these two prominent players should remain consistent, despite the increased scrutiny surrounding their careers. He believes that conversations about their team positions are unnecessary, as their inclusion has historically been based on performance. He questioned why this approach should change now, asserting that it should not.
Reasons for Increased Scrutiny
Questions regarding the future of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have become more frequent since both players retired from Test cricket last year, leaving ODIs as their sole international format. Before the Lord’s ODI against England, there were reports indicating that the selection committee was considering moving on from Rohit Sharma ahead of the 2027 World Cup to create an opportunity for Yashasvi Jaiswal.
However, the BCCI leadership dismissed these reports, clarifying that the Lord’s encounter was not intended to be Rohit Sharma‘s final international appearance. Deep Dasgupta attributes the constant speculation largely to the fact that both players now participate in only one international format. This situation means every ODI performance is subjected to greater examination.
Dasgupta explained that when players compete across multiple formats, a less successful performance in one format can often be overshadowed by success in another. Since Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are currently only playing in ODIs, their every innings attracts significantly more attention. He acknowledged that this presents a challenge for them, as people tend to remember their most recent performance in this format. Despite this, he maintained that the discussions with them should be consistent with how they were approached several years ago.
Both senior batters demonstrated their form during the recent ODI series against England. Rohit Sharma delivered a century in the final ODI at Lord’s, while Virat Kohli contributed two half-centuries. With the 2027 ODI World Cup approaching, these experienced players are expected to remain key to India‘s plans as long as they continue to perform consistently.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Priya Menon 