"There can be younger players who will take the spot" - Ajit Agarkar's stunning take on Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli ahead of AUS vs IND 2025 1st ODI

South Africa v India: Final - ICC Men
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be back in Indian colors for the first time since March [Credit: Getty]

Chief Indian selector Ajit Agarkar remained non-committal about Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's 2027 ODI World Cup prospects ahead of the three-match ODI series in Australia, starting on October 19. The duo remain active in only the 50-over format for India, having retired from the Test and T20I formats.

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Ahead of the Australian tour, Rohit was also removed as ODI skipper, with Shubman Gill replacing him at the helm in a shocker. The move led to speculations among fans and former players about Kohli and Rohit's ODI future.

When asked about the legendary duo being in consideration for the 50-over World Cup in two years, Agarkar told NDTV:

"They are part of the squad at the moment in Australia. They are incredible players, but it is not the forum to harp on about individual players. Two years from now, it is difficult to say what the situation will be. Who knows, there can be younger players who will take the spot."
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He added:

"Both are great players, and they will not be put to the test in every match. Once they start playing, we will assess the situation. It is about winning trophies, not just runs. It is not like if they score three hundreds in the Australia series, they will play the World Cup in 2027. We have to take the situation into consideration."
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Kohli and Rohit were India's top two run-scorers in the 2023 ODI World Cup at home with 765 and 597 runs, respectively. The duo also played vital roles in India's most recent ODI tournament - the 2025 Champions Trophy, where they won all five matches to clinch the title.

"Some of the conversations with them don't come out" - Ajit Agarkar

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Ajit Agarkar maintained that the conversations with legendary players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been and will be respectful. The pair are the second and fourth leading scorers in ODIs for the Men in Blue with over 14,000 and 11,000 runs, respectively.

"Legacy cricketers have created that legacy for themselves. You'd rather have those experienced players playing well. You have to treat them with respect. Some of the conversations with them don't come out, but there is nothing but respect," said Agarkar (via the aforementioned source).

Kohli and Rohit are also the second and fourth leading run-scorers in ODI World Cup history, with a combined 12 centuries between them. While the former has one ODI World Cup title to his name (2011), the latter is yet to achieve ultimate glory in the marquee event.

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Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran
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