The biggest discussion in Indian cricket right now is about Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's ODI future. Both the legends have already said goodbye to Test and T20 formats, but their relationship with the 50-over game does not seem to be over yet. The situation as of September 2025 says that there is very little chance of them retiring before the upcoming Australia series. Instead, both of them are still focused on the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Indication of fitness and preparation:
Recently, Rohit Sharma made it clear that he is physically fully prepared by passing the fitness test. Hindustan Times report confirmed this news, and Irfan Pathan said that Rohit is still very excited to play in ODIs. On the other hand, Virat Kohli recently participated in an indoor net session and indicated that he is still preparing for batting with the same zeal. It is clear from both these indications that the players are not going to distance themselves from the field soon.
Status of selection and discussion:
However, there is a discussion within the BCCI and the team management on how Rohit and Kohli's future will shape up in ODIs. Some reports said that if they want to stay for a long time, they may have to prove form in domestic cricket as well. Meanwhile, former batsman Deep Dasgupta believes that no one has the right to advise Rohit and Kohli to retire. He said that a cricketer's career is his own decision. The criteria for selection are different, and it depends on performance. If a player is scoring runs and is fit, then there is no question of dropping him.
Dasgupta also said that both Rohit and Kohli still have many years of cricket left, and he is annoyed to hear that people repeatedly advise the players to retire. He clearly said that if the selection committee is not satisfied, the players can be dropped, but no one has the right to stop them from playing.
“Nobody has got that right (to tell them to retire). We never told them to start, so we are nobody to tell them when to stop. They stop when they stop. It’s completely up to them. Yes, as far as selection is concerned, we are in a performance-oriented industry. You keep performing, you stay. There is absolutely no two ways about it. I recently saw pictures of him (Rohit); he is looking fit, he is up and running, and up for the challenge coming towards him.
So I think that’s absolutely fine; if they’re performing, it shouldn’t be any different from anyone else. Whether it’s Rohit or it’s Virat, I personally feel they both have got a few years left in them going forward. And I seriously get a little annoyed when people say, “Oh, this guy should retire.” I mean, who are we to suggest anything like that? Yeah, selection boils down to the selectors and all of that, but as long as they’re performing, it’s an absolute yes for me,” Dasgupta told RevSportz.
In our opinion, this debate is premature. As long as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are fit and performing, they should continue playing. India needs their experience in the coming years, and the Australia series will make their intentions clearer.
