Former India crickter says Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli won’t be picked based on Vijay Hazare Trophy

In October, ODI cricket will return, sparking speculation about the future of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The duo is set to play in the ODI series against Australia, but reports suggest it could be their final appearance in Indian colours. Former cricketer Aakash Chopra, commenting on their roles ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup, remarked that they may have retired from the “wrong format.”

“The duo said goodbye to the wrong format. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli suddenly decided to bid adieu to Test cricket. They said they will only play ODIs now. This is my problem. I’ll tell you why. Test cricket is the toughest format. White-ball cricket is monotonous, but the same is not the case for Tests. Tests are the toughest, while ODIs are the easiest when it comes to batters. There is relatively no pressure,” Chopra said in a video on his YouTube channel.

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Aakash Chopra believes Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli may struggle to stay with the limited number of ODIs before the 2026 IPL season if they are not active in Tests and T20Is.

“If you are playing just six ODIs in a year, then there are just six days of game time for you. How will you stay motivated? How will you prepare? How will you stay fit and stay in the best shape? This is what I’m thinking. You should have said that I’ll not play ODIs and T20Is, but I’ll play Tests. Consider that you had played the series against England, you would have played for 25 days. Then you would get the series against West Indies and South Africa,” he added.

Former KKR batter feels that if Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma still played Test cricket, they could remain active by featuring in the Ranji Trophy.

“If you were playing Tests, and somehow there was a gap, you can always play Ranji Trophy. You can play county cricket. If you play the longest format, you stay in the game. When you leave Tests, obviously, you wouldn’t go to play Ranji Trophy. What’s the point of playing Ranji and county when one has retired from Tests?,” said Chopra.

Aakash Chopra doesn’t believe the duo will be selected solely based on their performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, India’s domestic one-day tournament.

“The chatter about playing the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the tournament will happen in December. What’s the point? There are nine ODIs for India till the next IPL. That’s about it. Just nine days of cricket action for you. You’re not playing at all. You’re not practising,” said Chopra.

“Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli don’t have to play the Vijay Hazare Trophy, they wouldn’t be selected based on their performance in the tournament, let’s be honest about this. It’s bogus talk. If they had played Tests and left ODIs, staying in the groove would have been easier,” he added.