2027 ODI World Cup: Will Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma characteristic? Ex-selector’s blunt take – ‘Time doesn’t wait for anyone’ | Cricket News

Dubai: India’s Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli through the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 last cricket match between India and New Zealand, in Dubai, UAE. (PTI Photo/Arun Sharma)

Former India opener and ex-selector Devang Gandhi believes the youthful crop has proven they’re prepared for all challenges, casting doubt on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s ODI futures.“How will you make players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Sai Sudharsan, among others, sit out when they have shown how well they can adapt? The bigger transition is from T20s to Tests. Once a player has done well in Test cricket and has the power game, ODIs should come easier to them. It is very important that the selectors and the team management sit together and take a call,” Gandhi instructed TOI.Gandhi burdened that common game-time is essential and urged the selectors to truthfully assess whether or not Virat and Rohit can stay at their peak over the subsequent two years.“If, say, in a year’s time, we come to a situation where one of them is not firing and we need a replacement, the team management may not have enough time to prepare a player for the job,” Gandhi mentioned.The captaincy query is equally vital, and the selectors should decide. Gill has already confirmed himself prepared to steer in Tests and, given his present kind, is arguably India’s greatest ODI batsman, averaging 59.04 with a strike fee of 99.56. His performances have earned him the group’s respect, making the ODI captaincy a pure match.

“There’s absolutely no doubt about the contribution of Rohit and Virat. But time doesn’t wait for anybody,” Gandhi added.With Rohit and Virat — who retired from T20Is in 2024 and stepped away from Test cricket earlier this yr — the hypothesis about their ODI future has been rife. For now, although, it seems they might give one last push to the format they dominated for over 15 years.If they want to lengthen their ODI careers past October, each could must characteristic in home one-day competitions just like the Vijay Hazare Trophy in December, in addition to the ‘A’ collection towards Australia and South Africa, along with worldwide fixtures.At this stage of their careers, nevertheless, there stays uncertainty over whether or not these legends can be prepared to endure the grind of home one-day cricket in far-flung venues as soon as once more.