Gautam Gambhir to force Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma into ODI retirement!! 'Professional conversations' incoming

India National Cricket Team head coach Gautam Gambhir is all set to try out youngsters in the ODI setup as well after success on the England tour, which is not a good sign for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s future in ODI cricket. Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have retired from Tests and T20Is.

Gautam Gambhir was outstanding as India’s head coach on his first Test tour of England. He showed full trust in young players, and they delivered. India leveled the five-match Test series against England 2-2 in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, with a fresh and fearless team.

Gautam Gambhir eyes young talent for ODIs after England success

The Indian head coach has already made it clear that he doesn’t depend on big names, and that was seen in the England tour. Mohammed Siraj gave his all, bowling nearly 200 overs in five tests. Washington Sundar stayed calm under pressure.

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Yashasvi Jaiswal scored important runs. Akash Deep and Prasidh Krishna fought hard with the ball. Sai Sudharsan also showed promise. The young Indian team’s success in England sent a strong message that the next generation is ready and hungry to take charge, and that’s what Gautam Gambhir reportedly wants now.

This raised questions on the future of senior players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah. Rohit and Kohli are only playing ODI cricket and IPL now.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's ODI future in doubt

Rohit is 38, and Kohli is 36. They haven’t played much cricket since the T20 World Cup glory in June 2024. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are likely to return to action in the upcoming ODI series against Australia and South Africa. After that, they might feature in six more ODIs—three at home against New Zealand and three away in England—before July 2026.

But with the World Cup still over two years away, many are wondering if playing just a handful of ODIs and the IPL will be enough for Rohit and Kohli to stay ready for the ICC World Cup 2027. Now, it is being said that Gambhir and the selectors will soon take a call on whether they’ll continue till 2027 or make way for younger players who are waiting for their chance.

On the other hand, Jasprit Bumrah is still a very important part of India’s bowling attack across the formats, but injuries have made him a careful pick for the team, so his workload will need to be managed. Many have been suggesting that Gambhir chalk out a definite plan on how to utilize the premier pacer across the formats ahead of the next ICC World Cup.

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Will Gautam Gambhir force Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to retire ahead of ICC World Cup?

A source was quoted as saying by PTI: “Yes, it will be discussed soon. We still have more than two years for the next World Cup (November 2027). Both Kohli and Rohit will be pushing 40 by then, so there has to be a clear plan ahead for the big event, as our last win was in 2011. We also need to try out a few youngsters in time.

The source further noted, “Look, both Kohli and Rohit have made huge contributions to white-ball cricket for the team and the sport in general. They have achieved almost everything. So, I don't think anybody's going to force their hand, but there will be some honest and professional conversations before the next ODI cycle starts to see where they stand mentally and physically. It depends on that.”