What would be Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's role in ODIs under Gautam Gambhir? Are they looking for ODI World Cup 2027?
The first ODI between India and Sri Lanka will mark the beginning of a new chapter in Indian cricket. India’s star players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will take guard as ODI players under new coach Gautam Gambhir. The former India opener has earlier mentioned that if Rohit and Kohli are fit, they can go on and play till the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Ro-Ko are the senior players and have much responsibility on their shoulders now in the Gambhir era. The two are at the far end of their careers, and if they remain fit, they could seek redemption in the 2027 ODI World Cup after the heartbreak in the final of the last edition.
What does Rohit Sharma have on his plate in ODIs now?
Continuing aggressive cricket and the responsibility to groom the next captain
Since Rohit took over, he has harped on playing intent and aggressive cricket even in the ODIs to give no chance to the opposition to bounce back in the game. He led from the front with the bat during the 2023 ODI World Cup. He batted aggressively, led ruthlessly, and finished off matches like a champion, except when they had an off day in the final.
Nevertheless, under the Gambhir era as well, Rohit will continue with the same mantra, as the new coach too follows the same principle. If Rohit remains fit and is consistent, he can build on this image of the team and carry on till the 2027 World Cup. Meanwhile, he will also be grooming Shubman Gill, the current vice-captain, for the top job once he hangs up his boots.
Rohit needs to groom another explosive opener
Over the past few seasons, Rohit has reinvented himself as an opener. Earlier, he used to take time to settle down, scoring run-a-ball before accelerating. Now, he goes bang-bang from the first ball in the shorter format to give the team quick starts to kill off a chase or provide the platform for the middle-order to build on when batting first.
He now has the responsibility to groom a player who could match his prowess in the limited-overs. Yashasvi Jaiswal is the ideal player who can match Rohit’s intent and attacking strokeplay to provide great starts to the team. Whether Rohit retires before or after the next World Cup, grooming another world-class ODI opener would be on top of his agenda.
Keys for Virat Kohli in ODIs
Over 16 years as an ODI player, Virat Kohli at No. 3 has taken the responsibility of anchoring the innings, finishing off chases consistently, while scoring the most number of tons in the format. Considering his current form and fitness, Kohli is a favourite to play till the 2027 ODI World Cup and break a few records on the way.
But irrespective of that, it is known that Kohli won’t be there forever, and the time has come for him to groom another consistent batter at No. 3, who can be the backbone of the Indian batting line-up in the ODIs.
During the next few years, Kohli has the responsibility to pass on his knowledge, know-how, and experience to the upcoming middle-order batters who will take up the No. 3 spot once the star batter calls it a day. Quite a few cricketers are waiting for the role, but more importantly, their job would be to pick up Kohli’s mentality, temperament, and thinking when he anchors the innings to a winning position.
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