"There is no favoritism or quota system here" - Aakash Chopra on whether Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli would play the 2027 World Cup

Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli would be a part of the Men in Blue's 2027 World Cup squad as long as they continue to perform consistently. He noted that the Indian team's selection has always been based on merit, with there being no favoritism or quota system.

Rohit and Kohli have been picked in the Indian squad for the upcoming ODI series against Australia. However, Rohit has not been retained as the skipper, with Shubman Gill being given the captaincy reins.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener expressed surprise over an article stating that Rohit and Kohli's future ODI selection would be merit-based.

"The preparations are on for the second Test, but the focus is more on the big news currently. The big news is that Rohit Sharma is not there as a captain, and Virat Kohli is there, but nobody knows what the road ahead will be. I read an article where it was written that their selection will be merit-based," Chopra said (1:05).

"I am wondering when their selection was not merit-based. Meritocracy only works. There is no favoritism or quota system here. India are doing well because whoever is good plays here. If you are good, you will play for India, and if you do well consistently, you will remain in the team," he added.

Aakash Chopra highlighted that players, however great they might be, are dropped if their form wavers. While observing that this has been seen with all players, he termed the article slightly misleading.

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"Knowing that form and seeing that class repeatedly won't be that frequent" - Aakash Chopra on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's ODI future

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have retired from T20Is and Tests. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra acknowledged that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have performed well in ODIs lately. However, he pointed out that the duo won't get frequent chances to showcase their form and class.

"If you see their last 15 ODIs, you would say their numbers are good. They have scored runs and the strike rate has been decent. It's said form is temporary, class is permanent. However, since you do not play any other format, knowing that form and seeing that class repeatedly won't be that frequent. That's the truth," Chopra said (2:10).

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that single-format players find it more difficult to have a long career.

"It's always the case that all-format players have a slightly longer career span. They are always in your thoughts. However, it's very difficult for single-format players, whether you are playing only Tests, ODIs, or T20Is. Not playing any cricket is a problem. The gaps are becoming very long. That is not a good thing," Chopra elaborated.

Aakash Chopra urged Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to play the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Ranji Trophy, whenever they get a chance, to stay in touch with the game.

To conclude, the analyst pointed out that the two modern batting greats potentially playing the 2027 World Cup under Shubman Gill's captaincy won't be odd at all, highlighting that Sachin Tendulkar played the 2011 World Cup and a plethora of other matches under MS Dhoni's leadership.