Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma Told They "Won't Be Selected On Basis Of Vijay Hazare Trophy"
"The duo said goodbye to the wrong format. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli suddenly decided to bid adieu to Test cricket. They said they will only play ODIs now. This is my problem. I'll tell you why. Test cricket is the toughest format. White-ball cricket is monotonous, but the same is not the case for Tests. Tests are the toughest, while ODIs are the easiest when it comes to batters. There is relatively no pressure," Chopra said in a video on his YouTube channel.
India are scheduled to play just 6 ODIs before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. With Rohit and Virat not being active players in Tests or T20Is, Chopra feels there are too few ODIs to keep them motivated.
"If you are playing just six ODIs in a year, then there are just six days of game time for you. How will you stay motivated? How will you prepare? How will you stay fit and stay in the best shape? This is what I'm thinking. You should have said that I'll not play ODIs and T20Is, but I'll play Tests. Consider that you had played the series against England, you would have played for 25 days. Then you would get the series against West Indies and South Africa," he added.
The former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter feels being active in Test cricket would've offered Virat and Rohit an opportunity to remain active by playing the Ranji Trophy.
"If you were playing Tests, and somehow there was a gap, you can always play Ranji Trophy. You can play county cricket. If you play the longest format, you stay in the game. When you leave Tests, obviously, you wouldn't go to play Ranji Trophy. What's the point of playing Ranji and county when one has retired from Tests?," said Chopra.
As for Vijay Hazare Trophy, India's domestic one-day tournament, Chopra doesn't feel the duo's performance in the event will be considered for selection.
"The chatter about playing the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the tournament will happen in December. What's the point? There are nine ODIs for India till the next IPL. That's about it. Just nine days of cricket action for you. You're not playing at all. You're not practising," said Chopra.
"Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli don't have to play the Vijay Hazare Trophy, they wouldn't be selected based on their performance in the tournament, let's be honest about this. It's bogus talk. If they had played Tests and left ODIs, staying in the groove would have been easier," he added.
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