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Indian cricket's preparation for the 2027 ODI World Cup and the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) cycle will probably be based on the result of Sunday's ICC Champions Trophy final between the Indian cricket team and New Zealand in Dubai. The Indian cricket board (BCCI), which is eager to have a stable leadership in place for the next two years, may use it to decide captain Rohit Sharma's future.
BCCI to take some big calls
As per a Times of India report, moving on from Rohit, at least as captain in ODIs and Test matches, may be a difficult topic of conversation. Additionally, the board has refrained from revealing the new central contracts in order to await the final matchup with New Zealand. According to TOI, following their return from the Australia tour, head coach Gautam Gambhir and top selector Ajit Agarkar spoke with the board and Rohit about the proposal. According to information obtained during the conversation, the Indian captain was open to the concept of establishing a plan for the squad after the Champions Trophy concludes.
"Rohit still believes there is some cricket left in him. He has been told to communicate his plans going forward. Retiring is his call but there will be another discussion around continuing with captaincy. Rohit himself understands the need to have a stable captain if the team wants to prepare for a World Cup. There have been talks with Kohli too but there doesn’t seem to be much anxiety around him," a BCCI source told TOI.
Prior to the IPL, BCCI often announces its annual player retainer. After a terrible Test season, the board was interested in how the team performed in the Champions Trophy. The board reportedly desired to review the Grade A+ contracts. At the moment, the top grade is composed of Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit, and Kohli.
There were some worries about Rohit, Kohli, and Jadeja retiring from T20Is and having a very difficult Test season because BCCI policy suggests that players who excel in all three formats are chosen for A+ contracts. However, these players might be able to keep the big-name contract if they have a good Champions Trophy performance. If Axar Patel, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant get elevated to the A category, it will be intriguing to watch. After being kicked out last year for disciplinary reasons, Shreyas Iyer is probably going to get his central contract back. With his outstanding performance in the Champions Trophy thus far, Kohli has somewhat bolstered his case.
"The board will wait for Rohit’s decision after the Champions Trophy. If by any chance he chooses to retire, then the board will see what needs to be done. One can’t discount the fact that he won the T20 World Cup in July and has led well in the Champions Trophy as well," the source said.
It is interesting to note that Kohli had time to adjust to the role because MS Dhoni had resigned from his position as white-ball captain two years before to the 2019 World Cup. Rohit was given two years to lead the squad before to the 2023 ODI World Cup after Kohli also resigned as white-ball captain in 2021. If the selectors must move on from Rohit, it will take longer because of Jasprit Bumrah's ongoing fitness problems and the fact that current ODI vice-captain Shubman Gill is still raw as a captain.
