There has been a growing uncertainty over the future of Indian star cricketer Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in international cricket, reports Hindustan Times.
Both senior India batters came under fire after their poor show in Australia, which sparked a debate on whether they would continue their career beyond the impending Champions Trophy.
Although chairman of selectors of Indian cricket Ajit Agarkar remained tightlipped on where BCCI stands on the matter, he confirmed that their fate will be decided after the ICC tournament.
India have long been grappled with the situation over how they or when they would handle the eventual transition from Kohli and Rohit to the next generation of players.
However, the past few months in Test cricket, where the team suffered a horrendous 0-3 whitewash at home against New Zealand and a 1-3 loss in Australia, showed that the transition is likely to happen more sooner than later.
The dreadful run in Test cricket even sparked discussions among critics and experts about whether Rohit and Kohli would make the India squad for the tour of England in June, which would begin a fresh WTC cycle. This implies that the Champions Trophy is where India could witness the end of an era.
Amid the hotly-debated topic in Indian cricket, Agarkar, on Saturday, was asked about the transition phase during the press conference in Mumbai on the Champions Trophy squad announcement.
He said, “It’s a month away from the Champions Trophy. These guys have been exceptional performers in one-day cricket… We’ll see once the Champions Trophy is done, we’ve got a bit more time to sit and assess where everyone is. Not just one of the players but where we go forward. But at the moment, the focus is on one-day cricket and Champions Trophy.”
Following a dwindling return with the bat in Test cricket since September, where he scored 164 runs in eight Tests at 10.93, Rohit confirmed his availability for Mumbai's upcoming Ranji Trophy fixture against Jammu and Kashmir on January 23. Kohli, too, was named as a probable for Delhi's match against Saurashtra in Rajkot but pulled out, reportedly citing a neck injury.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
