Gautam Gambhir opens up on Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma futures: ‘Till the time they are performing…'
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been Team India's talismen for the better part of nearly 15 years. The duo have stitched countless partnerships and have won the team ICC trophies, especially over the last 12 months.
Rohit Sharma captained India to the T20 World Cup title in 2024, in the USA & Caribbean, and the ICC ODI Champions Trophy earlier this year in the UAE.
India has also been dominating the ICC rankings in the white ball formats, leading the list in both T20s and One-Day Internationals.
However, with the duo seemingly at the end of their career, there has been scrutiny on the futures of both Sharma, who is 38, and Kohli, 36.
However, Indian cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir has laid to rest any doubts over the place of either player in the team.
Speaking at the 'ABP India At 2047 Summit', Gambhir said, 'Till the time they are performing, they should be a part of the team. Performance ensures selection. No coach, selector, or even the BCCI can tell someone to stop playing if they're delivering.'
Many Team India fans have gotten a bit impatient with the duo, accusing them of being in the team on past glory.
However, Gambhir's clear message is a counter to those comments, as he made it clear it is performance, not reputation, that determines a player's spot in the Indian team.
Gambhir also reiterated that the players in the Indian team are selected based on merit and not on his favourites.
'No sportsman plays for farewell. The biggest farewell and trophy is the love of the country. That is what truly matters.
'It's not the coach's job to pick the team; that's for the selectors. My responsibility is to prepare whoever is selected to perform for India,' he added.
While the scrutiny on Kohli is comparatively smaller, Sharma has had a poor outing with his bat over the last 12 months.
The Indian captain, who retired from the T20 format after the 2024 WC win, has struggled for India in both red and white balls and his poor form has continued in the IPL as well.
However, Gambhir has a lot of praise for 'Hitman', as Sharma is fondly known by his fans.
'I respect Rohit Sharma a lot, I respect the human being he is, I respect the person he is, I respect what he has done for Indian cricket and his contribution and I have got a lot of time for someone like Rohit Sharma,' the Indian coach said at the summit.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are well placed to play the IPL 2025 playoffs with their respective teams.
Kohli's Royal Challengers Bengaluru are currently on top of the standings with 16 points from 11 games while Sharma's Mumbai Indians have zoomed to third (14 points from 11 games) on the back of six consecutive wins.
Stay updated on all the action from the IPL 2025. Check the IPL 2025 Schedule, track the latest IPL 2025 Points Table, and follow the top performers with the Orange Cap and Purple Cap.
First Published: 6 May 2025, 07:31 PM IST
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