Ajit Agarkar Clarifies Rohit Sharma and Kohli’s Future, Says Duo Not on Trial for Australia ODIs

Ajit Agarkar clarified that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are not being tested for their spots in the Australia ODI series, saying their places will be evaluated gradually.

India’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar has clarified that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are not being evaluated for their future in the upcoming ODI series against Australia. He stated that the three-match series will not decide their World Cup 2027 chances.

Both players, now limited to ODIs, return to action after a seven-month break following the Champions Trophy. By 2027, Rohit will be 40 and Kohli 39, raising natural questions about their long-term fitness. Agarkar noted that India’s focus remains on building a balanced team for the future.

READ ALSO | Ajinkya Rahane Calls for Young Selectors in Domestic Cricket, Says Players Shouldn’t Be ‘Scared’

“They are part of the squad for Australia. They have been incredible players for a long time. It’s not a forum to keep harping on individuals. You want to focus on the team and what the team wants to achieve. And in two years time, we don’t know what the situation is going to be. So, why just them two? It could be some other younger players,” Agarkar was quoted as saying by NDTV.

“That’ll be a bit silly, isn’t it? When one averages over 50 (Kohli, 57.9) and one is close to 50 (Rohit, 48.8), you are not going to put them on trial for every game. 2027 is a long way away, they play only one format, are playing after the Champions Trophy final on the 9th of March. They are playing 19th of October… so once they start playing, then you assess as you go forward,” he continued.

“They are not on trial and have achieved all they had to achieve, not just in terms of trophies but runs. It’s not that if both of them don’t get runs this series, that’ll be the reason they won’t be there, or if they get three hundreds, that’ll be the reason they play 2027. It’s still a long way away. We’ll see how it all shapes up. We have some ideas, and as we go along, we’ll have a better idea of how the team is progressing,” Agarkar added.

‘Balance Between Youth and Experience Is Key,’ Says Agarkar

Ajit Agarkar then noted the importance of maintaining balance between youth and experience in the national team. He said that having seasoned players remains vital

“Not at all. You have legacy cricketers because they have built it for themselves with their performances. There’s not one team in the world that won’t want experience. It’s always got to be a balance between some of our youth or newer players and the senior players to guide them. You’d rather have the experienced players playing well,” Agarkar said.

“When you have been around for a while, you take pride in your performances. Like I said, they have created that legacy for themselves, and you treat them with that respect. Maybe some of the conversations you have with those players don’t come out, but you treat them with nothing but respect. You want them around the team, every year so many players make debut for India, you want the senior guys to be around to guide them,” he concluded.