Former Indian cricketer Deep Dasgupta has advised Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to maintain and improve their form in order to guarantee their places in India’s ODI squad.
The two veterans participated in the three-match series in England. Despite the fact that the hosts won the series 2-1, Kohli scored half-centuries in the final two matches, and Rohit became the first Indian to score an ODI century at Lord’s after two series losses with his 34th century.
Given India’s focus on the 2027 ODI World Cup and both players’ stated desire to compete in the prestigious competition, Dasgupta has urged the two players to maintain better performances and start the series well rather than waiting for the final few games to score runs. This emphasises the need for scores to maintain their positions in the team.
“Everyone, not just Kohli and Rohit, needs to be informed that they need to get the series off to a strong start.
That is difficult. It takes more than one or two games to get into the swing of things. However, here is where the support staff enters the picture and engages in dialogue with the players by fostering an atmosphere that maximises everyone’s potential.
“There is no need to discuss their positions on the team with them. It wasn’t necessary to tell them that they would be on the team before each series four years ago. Based on their performances, they were certain they would be on the team. How is that different now? In a video posted to his YouTube account, Dasgupta stated, “It does not and should not change.”
The pair presently only competes in one format after retiring from Tests in 2025. Rumours that Rohit’s farewell ODI will be held at Lord’s appeared in the media, but the BCCI quickly rejected them.
Virat Kohli and Rohit should be the barrier for squad selection, Dasgupta reiterated, adding that their performances will be examined harder because they only play one format.
Because they only play one format, this conversation over their future is becoming overblown. If you perform poorly in one format while succeeding in another, it is forgotten. That presents an unavoidable dilemma for these two. Because they only play one format, people will recall their previous actions in this format. However, the dialogue with them need to be the same as it was three years prior, he continued.
India’s next ODI assignment is to host a three-match series against the West Indies in late September.
