Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli’s future in ODI cricket: Gautam Gambhir stays non-committal, ‘Those two guys…’

Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir was non-committal when asked about Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s future in Indian cricket. The legendary players are making their comeback in international cricket in the upcoming Australia tour.

Gambhir avoided long-term speculation about Rohit and Kohli when asked about their roles in the 2027 ODI World Cup. Fans are sceptical about their future as Shubman Gill is now leading the ODI side. Both seniors are now in their late 30s.

Gautam Gambhir emphasised the importance of focusing on the present.

“Look, the 50-over World Cup is still two-and-a-half years away, and I think it is very important to stay in the present. That is very important,” ESPNcricinfo quoted the head coach as saying in a press conference.

The former Indian batter, who played a major role in India’s World Cup victory in 2011, called Rohit and Kohli “quality players”. According to Gambhir, their experience will be valuable in the upcoming ODI series in Australia.

“Obviously, they are quality players. They are coming back. Their experience is going to be a handful in Australia as well. Hopefully, those two guys will have a successful tour. More importantly, as a team, we will have a successful series,” he added.

Gambhir’s comments follow widespread speculation that he is responsible for Shubman Gill becoming the ODI captain. Rohit Sharma, India’s most successful One-Day captain, was unceremoniously replaced by the 26-year-old.

After Gill became the ODI captain, Gambhir’s old video about Rohit Sharma went viral. The video most likely dates back to 2021-22, just before Rohit Sharma became the captain of the Indian cricket team.

“If Rohit Sharma doesn’t become the India captain, it’s India’s misfortune, not Rohit Sharma’s. If he doesn’t become the captain in white-ball cricket or T20 cricket, it’s a shame because Rohit Sharma cannot do anything more than this,” Gambhir says in the video.

One fan called him “two-faced” and posted, “Now, he doesn’t want him as captain after becoming coach himself.”

Meanwhile, Ravi Shastri has spoken about Rohit and Virat Kohli’s retirement.

“Virat retired from Test cricket, as did Rohit. They were not asked to retire. They went on their own. I’d think it’s similar (for ODIs). If they’re not enjoying, if the form is not good, you never know. They may pull the plug themselves,” Shastri told Fox News.

Shubman Gill on Kohli-Rohit

Shubman Gill earlier spoke about his expectations for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who’d now play under his captaincy.

“They are someone who won so many matches for us in the past and they have been playing for 10-15 years. They have won matches with the experience they bring to the table,” Gill said on JioHotstar.

“It is something that every captain and every team wants. That’s what we are looking forward to, just want them to go out there and do their thing. Do their magic,” the Team India captain added.