Amid continued chatter about Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s international futures, further fueled by Gautam Gambhir’s refusal to confirm their participation in the 2027 ODI World Cup, a veiled swipe by the India head coach at the two senior batters during the same press conference largely went unnoticed. The remark came shortly after India’s 2-0 whitewash of the West Indies in the second Test in Delhi.
Speaking to the media at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Gambhir said India’s dominant performance in the home Test series against the West Indies highlighted the importance of playing domestic cricket or India A games before international fixtures. He noted that, following a long gap since the last Test series in England (which ended in early August), few regular players had sought game time in domestic matches ahead of the West Indies series, and they emerged among the top run scorers.
“The best thing that happened for the series was how the Test regulars prepared for it. Deciding to play the India A game against the Australia A was very important, and playing the Ranji before the South Africa matches will also be equally important. This is something that this group of players have done really well. They are preparing themselves really well for the Test series and you can see the results as well,” he said.
It was then that Gambhir took aim at Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for missing the India A one-dayers at home against Australia A, which could have provided much-needed game time ahead of the Australia tour. He stressed that heading to the NCA or the CoE to work on specific skills would be fruitless unless players get to apply them in actual matches before major tours or series.
“That is what professionalism is all about. Try to use these games to the best of your abilities, because there are very quick turnarounds. After T20s, we played Tests and then ODIs, and then T20s again. But the Test players did well by playing domestic cricket. Rather than going to the NCA and working on skills, the more you play, the more important it is for the team,” he added.
Rohit and Kohli were expected to play the India A matches against Australia A, which were held earlier this month. Given that they will enter the ODI series against the Mitchell Marsh-led side after a six-month hiatus, the India A one-day matches could have been a much-needed warm-up series for the two. However, they were not named for either of the three matches.
While Kohli remained in London, where he trained for the ODI series, Rohit had spent close to a week at the CoE last month, where he prepared for the Australia tour. The former captain reportedly had extended batting sessions, where he faced tall fast bowlers and had light training sessions in the gym. Later, he had separate practice sessions at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park as well, under the watchful eyes of former India batting coach Abhishek Nayar.
Earlier this month, a PTI report stated that Ajit Agarkar, chief of the selection committee, and Gambhir are concerned about Kohli and Rohit’s longevity, questioning if they can sustain form until the World Cup in 2027, given that both are currently active in only one international format. However, the duo is reportedly expected to play at least three Vijay Hazare Trophy games before the New Zealand ODI series in January.
