Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has weighed in on the ongoing debate surrounding the ODI futures of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, questioning why uncertainty over the veteran pair has emerged so close to the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Speculation over the two senior batters has intensified in recent weeks, with social media abuzz over claims that either Rohit or Kohli could be left out of India's ODI plans ahead of the next World Cup. Some media reports also suggested that the third ODI against England at Lord's could be Rohit's final appearance in the format.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, however, rejected those reports while speaking to PTI on Friday, making it clear that Rohit remains part of India's ODI plans.
"There are lot of speculations going on in media about Rohit Sharma's future. I want to firmly assert that there has been no such discussion that Rohit will be playing his last match at Lord's on Sunday," said Saikia, as quoted by PTI.
Speaking on his YouTube channel Ash Ki Baat, Ashwin said India would still benefit from the experience of Rohit and Kohli during the upcoming tour of South Africa. At the same time, he argued that if the selectors had already decided to build towards the 2027 ODI World Cup without the two veterans, that message should have been conveyed immediately after the Champions Trophy.
"I am thinking we are going to South Africa in September and October. Do we need Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma? If you ask me, I will say we need that experience. I know Yashasvi Jaiswal is pushing hard from behind, but if you ever felt as a selector, coach or captain that we don't want these players in the 2027 World Cup, then you could have communicated that at the end of the Champions Trophy," Ashwin Said.
Drawing from his own experience, Ashwin said senior cricketers deserve clarity from the team management. The former spinner, who retired from international cricket after being informed that the management intended to move on from him, said honest communication is vital.
"If you go to a player and tell him that we want to move on from you, no player will like that. Even when the coach came and communicated with me in Australia that they wanted to look past me, I accepted it. One bad series can happen to any player, but you have to communicate with the player."
Ashwin also questioned the timing of the conversation, noting that the next ODI World Cup is less than a year away.
"Beyond all the speculation, Rohit and Virat have been performing. If you really wanted to make such a transition, why has this discussion come only now, in August 2026, when there are only 10 to 12 months left before the Cricket World Cup?"
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