Overview:
Another issue is their limited game time. It is learnt that the board would have been pleased had they played cricket in England during the summer.
India will take on South Africa in a three-match ODI series at home, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to hold a crucial meeting with the team management and the selectors on the ODI future of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, with the 2027 World Cup in mind.
According to the TOI, the top brass of the Indian cricket board will sit with the head coach Gautam Gambhir and the chief selector Ajit Agarkar after the third ODI against the Proteas. Rohit and Kohli want to play the global tournament, but the decision-makers have refused to confirm their place, considering the World Cup is still far away. There are speculations that the team management is working on identifying the backup players in case the two don’t make it to the ICC event.
“It is important that Virat and Rohit have clarity about what is expected of them and how the team management views their roles in the set-up. They can’t play with uncertainty,” a BCCI source said. Rohit has been told by the BCCI to focus on his fitness and performance. The board is likely to inform the duo about the concerns of the team management and the selectors.
There is a worry about their form as the two only play in one format. “They scored runs in the third ODI in Australia, but the series was already lost, and the bowlers did a good job in the first innings. They looked rusty in the first two games, and the team can’t afford that in every series,” a source added.
The team expects Rohit to continue his aggressive batting, as he took a lot of time before going for shots in Australia. “Rohit has to play a fearless brand of cricket. The conditions were not easy in Australia, but he was not taking risks. Both are expected to lead the batting charts and make things easier for the other batters.”
Another issue is their limited game time. It is learnt that the board would have been pleased had they played cricket in England during the summer. They will be told to play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy next month. India have another ODI series against New Zealand before the home season ends. India’s next ODI assignment will be three ODIs against England in July next year.