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The debate surrounding Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma‘s 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 their participation in the 2027 World Cup, keeping the speculation around their future alive.India’s recent 1-2 ODI series defeat against England only added fuel to the conversation. Rohit silenced critics with a match-winning century in the series finale, registering his 34th ODI hundred amid speculation that the Lord’s fixture could be his final international appearance. Kohli, meanwhile, chipped in with two half-centuries during the series after both senior batters struggled in the opening match.Former India wicketkeeper-batter Deep Dasgupta believes there is no need to question Rohit and Kohli’s places in the side, but stressed that both must make an immediate impact whenever a series begins instead of taking time to settle.“That has to be a conversation with everyone, not just them (Kohli and Rohit), that they have to start the series well and hit the ground running. That is 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 conversations with the players by creating an environment to get the best out of everyone,” Deep Dasgupta said on his YouTube channel.Dasgupta insisted that the standards applied to the two stalwarts should remain unchanged despite the increasing scrutiny around their careers.“There is no conversation needed with them about their places in the team. Four years back, 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 performances. So how does that change now? It does not and should not change,” he added.
Why Rohit and Kohli’s future remains under the spotlight
Questions over the future of Rohit and Kohli have surfaced repeatedly since both retired from Test cricket last year, leaving ODIs as their only international format. Before the Lord’s ODI against England, reports suggested that the selection committee was considering moving on from Rohit ahead of the 2027 World Cup to create an opening for Yashasvi Jaiswal.However, the BCCI leadership dismissed reports that the Lord’s encounter would be Rohit’s final international appearance.Dasgupta believes the constant speculation is largely because the pair now feature in only one international format, making every ODI performance subject to greater scrutiny.“This discussion about their future is getting exaggerated because they play only one format. When you play multiple formats, if you fail in one but score in the other, the failure is forgotten. So that’s a challenge for these two that can’t be denied. People will remember what they last did in this format because they play only one format. But the conversation with them should be the same as it was three years ago,” he added.
