Virat Kohli has described his ongoing dialogue with Rohit Sharma as one that has always been directed at the good of Indian cricket, with both senior batters drawing on each other’s experience across their respective stints in leadership. Kohli shared these thoughts with JioStar ahead of the first ODI of India’s three-match series against the West Indies, which got under way in Thiruvananthapuram on September 27, 2026.
Both Kohli and Rohit have stepped away from Test and T20I cricket and now feature for India exclusively in the 50-over format. Shubman Gill leads the ODI side, with the two veterans continuing to contribute as senior players in the dressing room as India build towards the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
“In the same way, when I became captain, I would bounce off a lot of ideas with him. And MS equally, because he had just stepped down. And similarly for Rohit, when he became captain, he would bounce off ideas with me as well. So, the conversations have always been about how to take the Indian team forward. Because eventually, the end goal is, how does the team benefit?” Kohli said, as quoted by JioStar.
What has shaped the Kohli-Rohit leadership dynamic over the years?
Kohli took charge of India’s Test side in late 2014 and moved into the limited-overs captaincy in 2017, succeeding MS Dhoni in both formats. Rohit was elevated to the all-format captaincy in 2022. Through each of those transitions, the pair maintained a steady exchange of ideas, with whoever held the captaincy leaning on the other’s perspective.
“When you have played for so long and you have been in leadership positions respectively for India, the goal is always that, as a senior player, you would bounce off things with your captain,” Kohli said.
The weight Kohli carries into those discussions is backed by a substantial ODI record. Across 302 innings, he has accumulated 14,941 runs at an average of 58.59, with 54 centuries, 79 fifties and a highest score of 183, making him one of the most experienced voices in the Indian setup.
How are the conversations shifting as the 2027 World Cup draws closer?
With the 2027 tournament on the horizon, Kohli indicated that the nature of his exchanges with Rohit has grown more detailed and purposeful. Kohli has confirmed that the 2027 World Cup will mark his final appearance in an ICC tournament, adding a personal dimension to the planning conversations alongside the broader team objective of arriving at the tournament in peak readiness.
India’s schedule ahead of the World Cup includes five ODIs in New Zealand and three against Sri Lanka later in 2026, then three ODIs against Zimbabwe at the start of 2027, providing the team with several opportunities to sharpen their preparations before the tournament gets under way in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Kohli described how the approaching deadline has changed the tone of his discussions with Rohit.
“But of course, when the World Cup comes closer, then you’re also looking to tighten things a lot more and streamline small little things. You go into more intense, more detailed conversations of how can we get a particular right, immediately correct it and utilise it in the next game. So, those conversations have always been there between me and him,” he said.
