Former India cricketer Vijay Dahiya believes that current skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli should take the final call on whether they want to play until the 2027 ODI World Cup or not. The 52-year-old believes that the selectors and the Indian team management will equally play an important role in the decision-making. He however, also added that the duo should be celebrated for their contributions to Indian cricket, and others shouldn’t take a call regarding their future.
Just a point to note, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have already announced their retirements from both T20Is and Tests. They last played for India in the 2025 Champions Trophy where India won a thrilling final against New Zealand in March.
Vijay Dahiya’s thoughts on Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli’s future
Speaking to Sports Yaari’s You Tube channel, Vijay Dahiya said: “The way they see themselves is important. Similarly, the team management or selectors have to decide which way they want to go. That’s important. Sometimes we forget that we should celebrate these players. Celebrate what they’ve done for Indian cricket. That’s important until they play. At some point, everyone has to leave cricket. That will be a different stage, but the way they’ve contributed, what they’ve done should be celebrated.”
Vijay Dahiya further added: “The motivation and fitness comes from inside. There are many people who want to make the decision on their behalf. This is a personal call. The way they’ve contributed, nobody needs to tell them what they should do and don’t.”
Vijay Dahiya also gave his thoughts on comparison between Rohit Sharma & MS Dhoni
Vijay Dahiya further dismissed any comparison between Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni, lauding them for their result-oriented leadership. In the same video he said: “See, this is a result-oriented game. The two captains have won the trophies. Comparison is a thief of joy. It removes the fun part. They are different types of characters, bring different things to the table, and run their teams their own way. Rohit’s aggression is unique and MS Dhoni’s calmness is different.”
A point to note, Rohit and Dhoni have won five IPL trophies with Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings respectively. As far as the the Men in Blue are concerned, Rohit led India to the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy glories. Meanwhile, MS Dhoni guided India to the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 World Cup, and the 2013 Champions Trophy titles.
Road Ahead for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
The road ahead for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli won’t be a simple one and it is complex as it gets. The duo only plays one format and the question is whether the duo will remain motivated enough to play that format for two years. Remember, India do not play that many ODIs just like the rest of the world, so there are handful of ODI games left before World Cup. The next point is whether they will be if told to grind out in domestic 50-over games like Vijay Hazare Trophy or India A games to get themselves battle ready.
IPL is always there for 2.5-3 months but what about ODI cricket for preparations. The most pertinent question is what the selectors and team management think about these two stalwarts. Does Gautam Gambhir want Rohit and Virat in the team or is he uncomfortable having them? The team needs to start playing and gelling from now onwards as only 2 years are left for the marquee event in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. At the moment, we have more questions than answers about Rohit and Virat.
We firmly believe that they should go out on their own terms and have a discussion with the team management as well. Whether they want to play 2027 ODI World Cup, the decision shall be left to them and other key stakeholders as speculating doesn’t help anyone at this stage. We shall see what the future has for both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma going forward.
Also Read: ICC Cricket World Cup 2027: Virat Kohli Should Be His Natural Aggressive Self Reckons S Sreesanth