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Former India selection committee member Devang Gandhi believes that both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli need to be phased out from the ODI set-up in order to make room for youngsters like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Sai Sudharsan and more. This comes after there has recently been a lot of discussion regarding the duo's future with the Indian team. A report from Jagran even claimed that the Men in Blue's three-match ODI series against Australia in October will be the duo 's last assignment with the team.
Rohit and Virat are only active in ODIs
Notably, both Rohit and Virat have already retired from the Test and T20I formats and are currently active in only one-day cricket. The duo's last ODI assignment with the national team was the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy where the side defeated New Zealand in the final. If the series against Australia does turn out to be the two's last, then they will miss out on the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Gandhi feels that the selectors and team management need to take a call on Rohit and Virat's future with the national team as soon as possible.
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"How will you make players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Sai Sudharsan, among others, sit out when they have shown how well they can adapt? The bigger transition is from T20s to Tests. Once a player has done well in Test cricket and has the power game, ODIs should come easier to them. It is very important that the selectors and the team management sit together and take a call," Gandhi told the Times of India.
Gandhi further remarked that if a call isn't taken on the two quickly, then the team management will be left with no time to prepare a player to replace them for the World Cup which is set to be held two years from now.
"If, say, in a year's time, we come to a situation where one of them is not firing and we need a replacement, the team management may not have enough time to prepare a player for the job. There's absolutely no doubt about the contribution of Rohit and Virat. But time doesn't wait for anybody," Gandhi added.
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It remains to be seen what decision will the selectors and team management take on the future of Rohit and Virat in India's ODI set-up. Though the team will have to undergo a transition phase if the duo retire from the format, it may turn out to benefit them in the longer run.
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