Virat Kohli frontrunner as BCCI directs Gautam Gambhir to dictate Indian legends' future

Head coach Gautam Gambhir’s influence in India has grown after Shubman Gill’s side drew the five-match Test series against England without key players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Gautam Gambhir may play a bigger role in deciding Kohli and Rohit’s future in ODIs as the team prepares for the 2027 World Cup.

The young Indian team, led by Shubman Gill, secured an impressive 2-2 draw in the five-match Test series against England. They were trailing 1-2 before the final game at The Oval. India achieved a narrow six-run victory in the last Test to level the series. Notably, Jasprit Bumrah played in three of the five Tests.

Gautam Gambhir’s Growing Influence on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s ODI Futures

According to Cricblogger, Gautam Gambhir’s role in the Indian team has grown stronger. He is now acting more like a captain off the field, not just a coach. Gambhir will take decisions regarding the futures of senior players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the ODI team.

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Gambhir aims to build a younger squad for the 2027 World Cup and may not want to keep Kohli or Rohit in the team. If forced to choose, Kohli seems to have a better chance of staying.

However, Rohit’s recent success makes things tricky. He has won two big ICC trophies in the last two years and is the current ODI captain. It won’t be easy to decide whether he should be left out of the team.

Team India Overcomes Test Challenges Under Gautam Gambhir

Under Gautam Gambhir, Team India struggled in Tests, including a 3-0 home Test series loss to New Zealand and a 3-1 defeat in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. They also missed out on reaching the 2025 World Test Championship final.

However, first-time Test captain Shubman Gill, without stars like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin, managed to draw a challenging series against England. This success boosted Gambhir’s reputation as head coach.

Gambhir’s influence has strengthened to the point where even contracted players are required to attend fitness sessions at the National Cricket Academy. Before the series, Gambhir had expressed that the absence of senior players was a chance for younger members to prove themselves.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s Uncertain ODI Future After T20 and Test Retirements

After leading India to victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired from T20 internationals. They bid farewell to Test cricket before the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series. Their future in the ODI setup, especially for the 2027 World Cup, is now uncertain.

Both players might need to participate in domestic List-A tournaments like the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy to stay in contention for the ODI squad. Reports were stating they could retire after the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia.

The BCCI is open to considering them if they continue playing these domestic games. However, Kohli and Rohit may not play the full Vijay Hazare Trophy due to other commitments. They last played for India during the successful 2025 Champions Trophy campaign, where both performed well.

Also read: Ravichandran Ashwin spills the beans on the biggest IPL auction buy after Sanju Samson interview