Former India star blames Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for limiting their own careers

The future of Indian cricket stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli appears uncertain as selectors have made bold decisions ahead of the upcoming white-ball series against Australia. Former cricketer Aakash Chopra criticised the two legends, suggesting that they are responsible for their current situation by stating that they have tied their hands themselves.

Rohit Sharma has been replaced as India’s captain, with young opener Shubman Gill appointed as his successor. Once considered indispensable, both Rohit and Kohli now face the challenge of proving their form and consistency if they hope to secure spots in future tours.

Chopra believes that both players limited their opportunities by retiring from Test cricket earlier this year. Commenting on the recent squad announcement, he said, “They have tied their hands themselves. The moment you retire from the Test format, I thought T20 was absolutely par for the course because when you win the World Cup, you retire — that’s fine. But if they had continued playing Tests, they would have played a lot more cricket overall, including first-class matches, which would have helped them maintain their form.”

Virat Kohli, the record-holder for most centuries in ODI cricket, and Rohit Sharma, who boasts three double centuries in the format, both need to perform consistently to retain their spots. Chopra emphasized that selection will now be based purely on form.

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“What I said for Rohit also applies to Virat. Of course, Virat’s white-ball numbers are phenomenal — maybe slightly better than Rohit’s, even though Rohit has three double hundreds to his name. But again, it’s all form-dependent. If you keep scoring runs, you stay in the side; if not, someone else will take your place,” he added.

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar also pointed out that India will have limited ODI fixtures over the next two years, making it crucial to give Gill ample time to evolve as a leader ahead of the 2027 ICC World Cup.

“One-day cricket is the format played the least, which means there aren’t many opportunities to give the next captain time to prepare,” Agarkar explained.