The debate around Virat Kohli and Rohit SharmaThe ODI future refuses to die down despite both continuing to deliver for India. While neither head coach Gautam Gambhir nor chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar has publicly committed to his participation in the 2027 World Cup, keeping alive the speculation surrounding his future.India’s recent 1-2 ODI series defeat against England has only added fuel to the conversation. Rohit silenced the critics with a match-winning century in the series finale, registering his 34th ODI hundred amid speculation that the Lord’s outfit could be his last international appearance. KohliMeanwhile, he hit with two half-centuries during the series after the two senior batsmen struggled in the opening match.Former Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Deep Dasgupta believes there is no need to question Rohit and Kohli’s places in the side, but stressed that the two should make an immediate impact whenever a series starts instead of taking time to settle.“This should be a conversation with everyone, not just them (Kohli and Rohit), who have to start the series well and hit the ground running. It’s a challenge. You can’t take one or two games to get into the groove. But that’s where the support staff comes in and has a conversation with the players creating an environment to get the best out of everyone,” Deep Da said on his YouTube channel.Dasgupta insisted that the standards applied to the two stalwarts should remain unchanged despite the growing scrutiny surrounding their careers.“There is no need to have a conversation with them about their places in the team. Four years ago, it was not like they had to be reminded before each series that they were going to be in the team. They knew that they would be in the team based on their performances. So how does it change now? It is not and should not change,” he added.
Because the future of Rohit and Kohli remains under the spotlight
Questions about Rohit and Kohli’s future have surfaced repeatedly since both retired from Test cricket last year, leaving ODIs as their only international format. Ahead of the Lord’s ODI against England, reports suggested that the selection committee was considering moving on from Rohit before the 2027 World Cup to create an opening for Yashasvi Jaiswal.However, the BCCI the management dismissed reports that the Lord’s match would be Rohit’s final international appearance.Dasgupta believes the constant speculation is largely because the pair is now featured in only one international format, making every ODI performance subject to greater scrutiny.“This discussion about their future is exaggerated because they play only one format. When you play several formats, if you fail in one, but you score in the other, the failure is forgotten. So it is a challenge for these two that cannot be denied. People will remember what he did in this format because they only play one format. But the conversation with them should be the same as it was added three years ago.