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Amid speculation over the ODI futures of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, former India player Ravichandran Ashwin has questioned the timing of the debate, insisting that if the selectors wanted to move on from the veteran duo ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup, they should have communicated the decision much earlier.In recent weeks, social media has been abuzz with speculation that Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli could be dropped from India’s ODI plans ahead of the 2027 World Cup. The media even claimed that the third ODI at Lord’s could be Rohit’s last appearance in the format.
BCCI dismisses speculations about Rohit’s retirement
However, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia dismissed the rumors while talking to PTI on Friday, confirming that Rohit will continue to represent India in ODIs and dispelling speculations surrounding his retirement.“There is a lot of speculation in the media about Rohit Sharma’s future. I want to firmly state that there was no such discussion about Rohit playing his last match at Lord’s on Sunday,” PTI quoted Saikia as saying.Speaking on his YouTube channel Ash Ki Baat, Ashwin said that India still needed the experience of Rohit and Virat for the upcoming tour of South Africa, but stressed that the players should have been informed immediately after the Champions Trophy, if the team management decided to drop them, rather than allow uncertainty to linger.“I’m thinking we’re going to South Africa in September and October. Do we need Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma? If you ask me, I’ll say we need that experience. I know Yashasvi Jaiswal is pushing hard from the back, but if you ever felt as a selector, coach or captain that we don’t want these players in the 2027 World Cup, then you could have said that at the end of the Champions Trophy,” Ashwin Said.
‘A bad streak can happen to anyone’
Ashwin, who himself retired from international cricket after being informed that the team management wanted to look beyond him, said honest communication was key when dealing with senior players.“If you go to a player and say we want to go beyond you, no player will like that. Even when the coach came and communicated with me in Australia that they wanted to look beyond me, I accepted it. One bad run can happen to any player, but you have to communicate with the player.”The 39-year-old also questioned why such discussions are emerging now, with less than a year to go until the 2027 ODI World Cup.“Beyond all speculation, Rohit and Virat are playing. If you really wanted to make such a transition, why has this discussion come up now, in August 2026, when the Cricket World Cup is only 10 to 12 months away?”
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