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India’s legendary batter Dilip Vengsarkar is unable to understand how the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee was able to assess former captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's form before selecting them in the ODI squad for Australia tour. Vengsarkar feels the senior duo made it to the squads on the basis of their past performances. He worries about the long lay-off the two batters have had. They have not played a single match since the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025’s conclusion.
“Rohit and Virat have been great players over the years, but if you are playing just one format of the game, I believe the selectors need to take a call on this. I feel you cannot know or judge the form and fitness of such players because they’ve had a long layoff after the last game they have played. It’s very difficult to assess their form and fitness,” said Vengsarkar.
“Rohit and Virat have possibly been picked because of their great records. They have been great players and have done yeomen service to Indian cricket, having won many matches in all formats of the game. But since they have not been playing Test match cricket as well as T20s, and are playing only one format, one-day matches, which is not very often played during the season, it’s very difficult to gauge their form and fitness. But since they have been picked, the selectors may have checked that, though I don’t know how,” added the former chief selector.
Will Ro-Ko continue to get selectors’ backing?
There are big question marks over whether Rohit and Kohli will play in the ODI World Cup 2027 in South Africa. Vengsarkar wonders whether selectors will continue back the senior batters or give their spots to players who are active in all formats.
“It’s really up to the selectors whether they want to stick with Rohit and Virat or look ahead and give opportunities to those players who are available for all formats of the game. It depends on how they look at Indian cricket going ahead,” concluded the former India captain.
The answers to Vengsarkar’s questions will be answered when Shubman Gill-led India take on Mitchell Marsh’s Australia in the three-ODI series starting October 19.
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