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'Has to be on top of his game': Ashwin feels after Rohit Sharma's possible exit from ODI team the pressure is now on Virat Kohli originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Ravichandran Ashwin criticised the BCCI selectors over the timing of Rohit Sharma's exit.
- A report claims Rohit is not in India's plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
- Ashwin warned that the treatment of Rohit puts added pressure on Virat Kohli.
Ashwin feels after Rohit Sharma's possible exit from ODI team, the pressure is now on Virat Kohli
Rohit Sharma's international future has become the dominant storyline of India's tour of England. According to an Indian Express report, the veteran opener has been informed by the BCCI selectors that he is not in their plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup, raising the possibility that Sunday's third ODI at Lord's could be his last in India colours.
Neither Rohit nor the board has spoken publicly on the matter, but the implications are stark. The 39-year-old has already retired from Tests in 2025 and T20Is in 2024, meaning an ODI exit would bring the curtain down on one of the most decorated careers Indian cricket has produced.
Into that charged atmosphere stepped Ravichandran Ashwin, who used his platform to deliver a scathing assessment of how the situation has been handled. The former off-spinner's central objection was not the decision itself but its timing.
MORE: Rohit Sharma's ODI retirement appears to be a reality as parents reportedly reach London
Ashwin questions the selectors' timing
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ash ki Baat, Ashwin argued the message should have been delivered far earlier if the selectors had genuinely made up their minds. He accepted Rohit's recent form had dipped while insisting that alone did not justify the delay. "In his last eight games, Rohit's form has gone down, and it can happen to any player," Ashwin began.
"My problem is with the Indian team itself. We are going to South Africa in September-October. Do we need Rohit and Virat? If you ask me, I will want that experience." He acknowledged the pressure from below while maintaining the point of principle. "I know Yashasvi Jaiswal is pushing hard from behind.
But as a decision-maker, if you ever felt in your mind that these two players are not fit for the 2027 ODI World Cup, that could have been communicated at the end of the ICC Champions Trophy," Ashwin added.
His frustration crystallised into a single repeated question. "Why have we let it come till 2026 August when it is just 10-12 months left for the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa? Why have we let it come this far? That's my only question," he asked.
MORE: 'If he retires, an era will end': Rohit Sharma's childhood coach
Why the pressure now shifts to Virat Kohli
Ashwin's most pointed observation concerned the knock-on effect for Virat Kohli. He suggested the manner of Rohit's treatment sends an unavoidable message to the other senior batter in the side, one that will weigh on his mind. "Players like Rohit and Virat, they deserve respect. There are 12 months to go, and this is too late to make a call like this," Ashwin said.
"And the way it is going on, Virat also has to be on top of his game, unfortunately." He stressed that neither veteran had earned such uncertainty through poor returns.
"Communication is a double-edged sword; players will never feel good. But by pure performance, they have not been poor at all. Virat has been excellent; Rohit has been more than decent," Ashwin observed.
The off-spinner then drew a comparison with the corporate world to underline his point about dignity. "In corporates, they call it 'layoffs', but for those who are at senior posts, things are done via smooth communication. My point is if someone has served the team for the past two decades, there needs to be a good exit," he said.
MORE: 'Two matches don't make a difference': Kotak breaks silence on Rohit's retirement rumours
A critique that lands where it matters
Ashwin's argument carries weight precisely because it sidesteps the sentimental. He does not claim Rohit must play the World Cup, nor that Jaiswal is undeserving. His objection is procedural, and on that narrow ground, it is difficult to fault.
The numbers lend him support. Rohit has made 563 runs at 46.91 in 13 ODIs since being removed as captain last October, hardly the collapse that would justify an abrupt, late-stage push towards the exit for a batter of his standing.
The Kohli dimension is the sharpest part of his analysis. If India can move this decisively on Rohit despite a decent record, Kohli will understand that reputation offers no protection, and that realisation, as Ashwin implies, changes how even a great player approaches the months ahead.
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