"There is not much communication happening" - R Ashwin's stunning take on Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli ahead of AUS vs IND 2025 series

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin expressed disappointment in the manner in which the team's long-term vision is being conveyed to veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli ahead of the Australia tour. The team management appointed Shubman Gill as the ODI captain, thus ending The Hitman's fruitful run as the leader of the team.

Although both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were named in the 15-man squad for the three-match series, there is still a massive lack of clarity regarding their long-term involvement with the squad, especially from the point of view of the 2027 ODI World Cup.

R Ashwin opined that the team management should have been upfront to both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli regarding the team's long-term planning after they chose to retire from T20Is after the 2024 T20 World Cup. Since then, the pair have featured in a handful of ODIs and Tests, before retiring from the latter as well ahead of the England tour.

"I really hope the conversation has happened with Virat and Rohit. But if the conversation has happened now, why did it not happen after they said they were retiring after the 2024 T20 World Cup? It could have happened then itself. Had it happened back then, they could have thought about whether to continue playing or not, because this is the direction the team is wishing to head towards," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

"But now, this current situation leaves a lot of uninformed space. When there is uninformed decision-making that is put outside, you leave a lot of room for speculation. Why is the communication not coming from the players? Because there is not much communication happening, it is not going from here to there. If the communication is not clean, transparent, and not done with the vision moving forward, it leaves the players in a very tender space. Considering the magnitude of Virat and Rohit's contribution to Indian cricket, I think there should be better communication not only to them, but to everyone else," Ashwin elaborated.

The former spinner admitted that it would be an uphill battle for the veteran pair to make it to the 2027 ODI World Cup with their form and fitness intact amid minimal 50-over cricket in the calendar.

"Let's face it, if Rohit and Virat get to the 2027 World Cup at this age, I would really, really, take my cap off to both of them because it needs a lot of commitment. They are not getting much cricket beyond the IPL, so it would be an incredible achievement, but we need to give them the chance to attempt the achievement," he added.

Post the Australia tour, India have a handful of ODIs scheduled against South Africa and New Zealand as part of their home season. However, it is followed by a lengthy break in the first half of 2026, as their next assignment would be in the form of an England tour in July.

"Just a little bit of sensitivity was necessary" - R Ashwin on team management's communication towards Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli

Team India have garnered a notorious reputation of nudging the veterans towards the exit door in the recent past. There has been a swarm of retirements of late, with Ravichandran Ashwin and Cheteshwar Pujara retiring from international cricket, while Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli also opting to step away from Tests in an unceremonious fashion.

Ashwin feels that since Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are certified legends of the Indian team, their cases should have been handed with a lot more 'sensitivity' by the team management.

"All the new guys on the block who are playing with the Indian team, they won't know the magnitude of what all of this leaves on the minds of players like Virat and Rohit. When the new guys reach that stage of their careers then they will understand that what happened to them will also end up happening to us. More than anything else, I would not go into right or wrong, but just a little bit of sensitivity was necessary, considering their contributions to Indian cricket. The communication should have been even more solid and clear," Ashwin said.

The legendary duo will be action in international cricket after seven months during the ODI series between India and Australia. The series opener is scheduled to be played at the Optus Stadium in Perth on October 19.