As India prepares for their forthcoming ODI series against Australia, head coach Gautam Gambhir has stated that his attention is on the present rather than speculating about the long-term future of senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
Gautam Gambhir opened up following India’s 2-0 Test series victory over the West Indies.
With the 2027 ODI World Cup still more than two years away, many have speculated on whether Rohit, who will be 40, and Kohli, who will be 38, will remain part of India’s long-term white-ball plans. Both players have not played international cricket since India won the Champions Trophy earlier this year, and they are now returning for the Australia series.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar had previously expressed similar sentiments, claiming that discussions concerning the 2027 World Cup went too far. Gambhir reiterated this message throughout the news conference, urging everyone to concentrate on the immediate tasks ahead. The former opener went on to discuss how important the duo’s experience was for the Australian tour.
“2027 World Cup is 2.5 years away. It’s important to stay in the present. Kohli and Rohit are both quality players. Hopefully, they have a successful tour in Australia,” Gambhir said.
Both Kohli and Rohit have been training rigorously ahead of their return. Kohli, fresh off winning his maiden IPL title with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, prepared for the series in London before joining the squad. Rohit, meanwhile, trained at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru and later at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park under the guidance of Abhishek Nayar. Both Kohli and Rohit arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday morning and will join the team before departing for Australia.
India’s ODI squad against Australia:
Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (VC), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal.
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