Former India chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar has raised questions about the selection of senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia starting October 19. Both stalwarts have been named in the squad led by Shubman Gill, marking their return to international cricket for the first time since the IPL 2025 season.
In an interview with Mid-Day, Vengsarkar questioned the logic behind their inclusion by the current selection committee, headed by Ajit Agarkar. Rohit and Kohli have not played international cricket since the Champions Trophy in March. Both retired from T20Is in June 2024 and from Test cricket in May this year, leaving ODIs as their only active format.
“Hard to Assess Form and Fitness”
Vengsarkar said, “Rohit and Virat have been great players over the years, but if you are playing just one format of the game, I believe the selectors need to take a call on this. I feel you cannot know or judge the form and fitness of such players because they’ve had a long layoff after the last game they have played. It’s very difficult to assess their form and fitness.”
He added that the two might have been selected based on their stellar track records. “Rohit and Virat have possibly been picked because of their great records. They have been great players and have done yeomen service to Indian cricket, having won many matches in all formats of the game. But since they have not been playing Test match cricket as well as T20s, and are playing only one format, one-day matches, which is not very often played during the season, it’s very difficult to gauge their form and fitness. But since they have been picked, the selectors may have checked that, though I don’t know how.”
Agarkar On Ro-Ko's Fitness and Future
Selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar, speaking to the media last Saturday, confirmed that both players passed their mandatory pre-season fitness tests. However, he also hinted that their inclusion in the Australia series does not necessarily mean they are part of the long-term plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
The upcoming ODI series will therefore be an important one — not just for India’s preparations, but also for Rohit and Kohli, as it could influence their selection for the following series against South Africa and New Zealand, and ultimately determine their future in the format.
