Ex-chief selector and a great of the game before would question the selections of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the Indian squad for the ODIs against Australia from October 19 onward. Kohli and Rohit have been away from competitive cricket since IPL 2025 and were last seen playing for India in the ICC Champions Trophy in February this year, having taken their retirement from Tests ahead of the England tour.
Vengsarkar didn’t understand what might have gone into the selection criteria for the legends. Referring to their long absence from the game, he said he really doesn’t know how the selectors would have assessed their form and fitness, which is the primary criteria on which any Indian cricketer is chosen, but perhaps they have been selected for their glittering records.
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“Rohit and Virat have been great players over the years, but if you are playing just one format of the game, I believe the selectors need to take a call on this. I feel you cannot know or judge the form and fitness of such players because they’ve had a long layoff after the last game they have played. It’s very difficult to assess their form and fitness,” Vengsarkar told Mid-Day.
“Rohit and Virat have possibly been picked because of their great records. They have been great players and have done yeomen service to Indian cricket, having won many matches in all formats of the game. But since they have not been playing Test match cricket as well as T20s, and are playing only one format, one-day matches, which is not very often played during the season, it’s very difficult to gauge their form and fitness. But since they have been picked, the selectors may have checked that, though I don’t know how,” added the former India skipper.
Though Kohli and Rohit Sharma have got a place in the India ODI squad for the Australia tour, their World Cup 2027-game remains doubtful. They are non-committal about taking part in the gala event, and if at all they do, they need to be selected on merit. Vengsarkar said the selectors would have to take an eventual call regarding the matter- persisting with the veterans or giving chance to the players who could participate in all formats.
“It’s really up to the selectors whether they want to stick with Rohit and Virat or look ahead and give opportunities to those players who are available for all formats of the game. It depends on how they look at Indian cricket going ahead,” concluded Vengsarkar.
