Rohit, Kohli to be picked on merit leading up to the 2027 ODI World Cup – Report
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Rohit, Kohli to be picked on merit leading up to the 2027 ODI World Cup – Report")
Rohit, Kohli to be picked on merit leading up to the 2027 ODI World Cup – Report Photograph: (AFP)
The two former captains returned to the Indian side for the first time since their 2025 Champions Trophy triumph in March (this year), leading the star-studded batting attack for the forthcoming Australia One-Dayers.
Plenty has happened in Indian Cricket in the past couple of days, and even though Shubman Gill's appointment as the new ODI skipper was the biggest draw, the reports of two stalwarts, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, getting picked on merit from now onwards, leading up to the 2027 ODI World Cup, have also made headlines. The two former captains returned to the Indian side for the first time since their 2025 Champions Trophy triumph in March (this year), leading the star-studded batting attack for the forthcoming Australia One-Dayers.
A Times of India (TOI) report has stated that the selectors picked the batting greats for the three-match Australia ODIs based on their performances in their last outing for India (during the multi-team tournament), and in the future, they shall be considered for selection on merit only.
Meanwhile, upon replacing Rahul Dravid as the new India head coach in July 2024, Gautam Gambhir worked closely with chief selector Ajit Agarkar, preparing the roadmap for the next 50-over World Cup in Africa. Considering Rohit and Virat’s form and their retirement announcements from the remaining two formats, the selectors were left wondering about their willingness to continue playing ODIs for another two years.
However, ahead of the marquee ODI series against Australia, the selectors took a tough call to name a new captain in Gill. Shubman, who replaced Rohit as the new Test skipper earlier, will now be leading India in the 50-over format Down Under.
“It has been a collective effort by Gambhir and Agarkar. They understand that it will be tough for both Rohit and Kohli to be at their peak after two years, given that they are in their late 30s. They didn’t want to be caught off guard if suddenly Rohit or Kohli’s form dipped. It would have created chaos in the leadership group. The duo announcing retirement from Tests days before the selection for the England tour was a case in point,” a BCCI source said, as quoted by the TOI.
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“The team won the Champions Trophy and two Tests in England even without Bumrah. It has given the confidence that no one is indispensable in the current scenario,” he continued.
So, why Gill over Rohit?
Since Rohit retired from the two formats, leading the dressing room in just one format would have invited conflict, something the board and the management would want to avoid ahead of two crucial years for Indian cricket. Shedding light on the same, the BCCI source said,
“A player of Rohit’s stature in a leadership role would have meant he would get to drive his philosophy in the dressing room. But with him playing only in ODIs, a format which is played the least, it could have disturbed the team culture. Gambhir had taken a back seat in Tests and ODIs in the first six months of his assignment, but the debacles against New Zealand and Australia prompted him to take charge more firmly.”
Meanwhile, the white-ball leg of the series begins with three ODIs on Sunday (Oct 19) at the Optus Stadium in Perth.
