Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has questioned the communication involving Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s futures, stating that if the duo were not needed for the 2027 ODI World Cup, then they should have been informed after the Champions Trophy win in March 2025.
The 39-year-old felt that no player would be happy when informed that he is being moved on from the scheme of things, but needs to be told about the roadmap going forward for the side.
“Yashasvi Jaiswal is pushing hard from behind. But if, as a selector, coach, captain or whoever the decision-maker is… …if you’ve already decided in your mind that these players are not going to the 2027 World Cup, and you don’t want them… then that should have been communicated immediately after the Champions Trophy. I know it’s a double-edged sword.”
“If you go and tell players that you want to move on from them, no player will feel good about it. Even if the selectors or the coach had come to me in Australia and said, “We want to move past you. We’re done with you.” I would also have felt bad. I’d think, “One bad series… is that enough? Every player is allowed one poor series.” That’s how every player would feel. But once it’s done, you can at least say, “Okay… the communication was clear,” Ashwin said on Ash Ki Baat.
“Maybe it has already happened in Rohit’s case. Maybe it has happened in Virat’s case. Virat has been excellent. Rohit has been more than decent. So why have we allowed this to drag on until August 2026… …when there are only 10-12 months left before the 2027 World Cup in South Africa? Why has it come this far? That’s my only question,” he added.
Ashwin said prolonged uncertainty could affect a player’s mindset, adding that if a cricketer no longer felt wanted in the dressing room, it would inevitably reflect in his performances.
“If either of those two players doesn’t feel wanted, two things will happen. First, they cannot perform at their best. Second, they will start feeling low about themselves for simply being there. Think about it once. If you’re in a house where people don’t want you to stay, can you really live comfortably in that house?” he said.
While making it clear that the final decision rested with the selectors and team management, Ashwin said he would still prefer to have Rohit and Kohli’s experience in South Africa if the decision was based purely on cricketing merit.
“We’re going to South Africa in September-October. Do we need Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma? If you ask me, I would want that experience,” he said.
