The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will organise a meeting between Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajit Agarkar, and Gautam Gambhir. The board wants to provide clarity to the senior-most batters with regard to India’s planning for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Rohit and Kohli have shouldered the weight for years and deserve to know what the head coach and chief selector want, not just from them but for the betterment of Team India. Considering Rohit will be 40 and Kohli 39 by the time the ICC event kicks off, it’s natural to have some reservations.
‘There should be no such talks’ – Kotak
Whatever the BCCI has in mind, it seems like India’s batting coach, Sitanshu Kotak, doesn’t agree with it. After Kohli’s masterful 135-run knock and Rohit’s fine fifty in Ranchi, Kotak was asked the future question in the post-match press conference. The coach cleared up the matter that no one in the dressing room has been talking about either of their spots in two years’ time.
“In my opinion, there should be no such talks. Talking about things that are two years away, I don’t think there is any point in talking about such things. I don’t think we are even talking about the 2027 World Cup. They (Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli) are contributing, which is great for the team,” Kotak told reporters in Ranchi.
If one removed the age label, one would simply call Kohli the best ODI player in the world and not use the veteran or experienced tag. As has been the case for over a decade, Kohli’s fitness remains at 100.
“I don’t know why we need to look at all this. He (Kohli) is batting really well. I don’t see any reason we need to talk about his future. Just the way he is batting, he is just brilliant. The way he is performing, the way his fitness is, there are no questions about anything,” the coach added.
Runs matter, but Rohit and Kohli bring so much more to the table. With guys like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Washington Sundar present in the dressing room, having seniors around them to teach them the ropes is invaluable. They bring calm in tense situations and keep people around them at ease.
“It was an outstanding knock, obviously; he batted really well. He is, in the one-day format, and in all the other formats, he is a thoroughly outstanding player. He took responsibility, and the way he batted was really good. They are both experienced players, and it is always great to have them. And the way they bat, today also, they got that partnership; all of it makes a huge difference,” he concluded.
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