The news of Rohit Sharma’s possible retirement from international cricket after the third and final ODI against England at Lord’s on July 19 has created a huge debate among Indian fans and the cricket fraternity. As speculations continue on Rohit Sharma’s future, now Ravichandran Ashwin has shared his views and raised questions on the shocking speculations.
Ashwin said that if the Indian selectors and team management had indeed decided to move on from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli ahead of the ICC World Cup 2027, they should have been informed much earlier and not suddenly.
He believes that clear communication is very important, especially when it comes to senior cricketers who have served the country for many years. Meanwhile, the former MI star criticized Shubman Gill for favoring Rohit Sharma after the retirement call.
Ravichandran Ashwin wants Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in ICC ODI World Cup 2027
Speaking on his YouTube channel with Vimal Kumar, a senior journalist, Ravichandran Ashwin said that he would still like to have experienced players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in India’s ODI squad for the upcoming ICC World Cup 2027 in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
He admitted that young opening batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal is performing well and is trying hard to make a place in the team. But Ashwin feels that if the selectors and team management had already decided that Rohit and Virat were not part of their plans for the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup, they should have informed them immediately after India’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 win.
Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel, “I would like the experience of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.”
“I know Yashasvi Jaiswal is working hard from behind. But if as a selector, coach, captain or decision maker you ever felt that I am not taking these players, if you felt that these players will not go to the 2027 World Cup and we do not want them, then it could have been communicated at the end of the Champions Trophy.”
Ravichandran Ashwin wants communication with selectors
Ashwin said he understands that these conversations are never easy, as no player likes to hear that the team wants to move on without him, especially after spending years playing for the country.
He added that if he had been told during his career that the selectors wanted to look beyond him, he would have been disappointed, but a bad series should not decide the ODI future of Rohit and Kohli as they have already retired from Test and T20I cricket.
Ashwin believes that honest communication is always better than keeping players uncertain, adding that once a player clearly knows the selectors’ decision, he can accept it and move on.
The former Indian off-spinner also admitted that it is possible that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli may have already had such discussions with the team management, but no one outside the dressing room knows what exactly happened.
Ashwin further explained, “I know this communication is a double-edged sword. But if we go and communicate, the players will never feel good, but the communication should always be clear. I think it needs to happen, and it should happen very clearly. Maybe it has happened in the case of Rohit. Maybe it has happened in the case of Virat.”
Ravichandran Ashwin raised questions from selectors on the future of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
Ashwin also defended both the former Indian captains when it comes to batting form, so it should not have been a matter of big decision. But the former Indian all-rounder questioned why the issue has reached this level when the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup is less than a year away.
“But from a pure performance perspective, they haven’t been bad at all. Virat has been excellent. Rohit has been very good. Why have we let it come to August 2026 when there are only 10-12 months left for the 27th World Cup in South Africa? Why have we let it come to this far? That’s my only question,” he said.