‘You can’t take 1-2 games’: Former cricketer’s warning to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli
The debate surrounding Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s ODI future refuses to die down even as both continue to deliver for India. While neither head coach Gautam Gambhir nor chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar has publicly committed to their participation in the 2027 World Cup, it is keeping speculation about their future alive.
India’s 1-2 defeat in the recent ODI series has fueled the debate. Rohit silenced critics with a match-winning century in the series finale, registering his 34th ODI century amid speculation that the Lord’s match could be his last international match. Kohli, on the other hand, came within two half-centuries during the series after the senior batsmen struggled in the opening match.
Former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta believes there is no need to doubt Rohit and Kohli’s places in the side, but insisted that both must make an immediate impact whenever the series starts instead of taking time to settle.
“That should be a conversation with everyone, not just them (Kohli and Rohit), that they should start the series well and hit the ground running. That’s a challenge. You can’t take one or two games to get into the groove. But that’s where the support staff come in and have conversations with the players about creating an environment to get the best out of everyone,” said Deep Dasgupta on his YouTube channel.
Dasgupta insisted that the standards applied to the two stalwarts should remain the same despite the increasing scrutiny surrounding their activities.
“There is no discussion needed with them about their places in the team. Four years ago, it wasn’t like they had to be reminded before every series that they would be in the team. They knew they would be in the team based on their performance. So how does that change now? It’s not the case and it shouldn’t change,” he added.
Why Rohit and Kohli’s future remains under the spotlight
Questions over Rohit and Kohli’s future have surfaced repeatedly since both quit Test cricket last year, leaving ODIs as their only international outlet. Ahead of the Lord’s ODI against England, reports suggested that the selection committee was considering moving Rohit ahead of the 2027 World Cup to make way for Yashasvi Jaiswal.
However, the BCCI leadership dismissed reports that the King’s match will be Rohit’s last international appearance.
Dasgupta believes that the constant speculation is because the pair now have only one international format, making every ODI performance under scrutiny.
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“This conversation about their future is exaggerated because they only play one format. If you play many formats, if you fail in one but score in another, the failure is forgotten. So that is a challenge for these two that cannot be denied. People will remember what they did last time in this format because they only play one format. But the conversation with them should be the same as it was three years ago,” he added.
