Newly-appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir expressed his confidence in Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, stating that the two cricketing legends will be crucial to India’s success in ODIs and Test matches going forward. Gambhir emphasized that Kohli and Sharma will be highly motivated to perform well in the upcoming Champions Trophy and Test series in Australia, and left open the possibility of them continuing to represent the senior national team beyond the 2025 season.
“They have proven their ability to perform on the biggest stages, whether in T20 or 50-over World Cup tournaments. It’s clear that both players still have plenty of cricket left in them. Moreover, with the upcoming Champions Trophy and a major tour of Australia, they will be highly motivated. And if they can maintain their fitness, they may even have the chance to compete in the World Cup 2027,” Gautam Gambhir said.
“This is a highly personal decision for the players. It’s difficult to say how much cricket they have left in them. Ultimately, it’s up to them to decide how much they can contribute to the team. The team’s success is what’s most important. Considering Virat and Rohit’s current abilities, they still have a lot of cricket left in them and are still world-class players. Any team would want to keep them for as long as possible,” he added.
The former southpaw emphasized that Kohli and Rohit will feature in the majority of India’s crucial ODI and Test matches going forward. He noted that this will allow them to manage their workload, as they are now competing in only two formats.
“Effective workload management is crucial, especially for bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah. While Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are retired from T20I’s, they need to be feature in other formats. For batters, playing consistently and maintaining good form is ideal, but workload management is vital for most bowlers,” he stated.
