‘You can’t take 1-2 games’: Former India star’s strong message for Rohit, Kohli before ODI World Cup 2027

Questions over the ODI futures of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli continue to dominate discussions ahead of the 2027 World Cup. While reports have linked the senior stars with possible changes in India’s long-term plans, former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta believes the focus should be on performance rather than speculation. According to him, the experienced duo still deserve complete backing but cannot afford slow starts anymore in ODI series.

Deep Dasgupta sends clear message to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli

Dasgupta said there should be no debate over Rohit and Kohli’s places in India’s ODI side, but stressed that both veterans need to make an impact from the very first match of every series.

The former India cricketer believes players of their stature cannot rely on taking a couple of games to settle in before producing big scores.

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“That has to be a conversation with everyone, not just them (Kohli and Rohit), that they have to start the series well and hit the ground running. That is a challenge. You can’t take one or two games to get into the groove. But that’s where the support staff comes in and has conversations with the players by creating an environment to get the best out of everyone.”

No need to question their place in the ODI team

Dasgupta also dismissed suggestions that Rohit and Kohli should be reminded about their spots in the Indian team before every series.

He said both players have earned their place through years of consistent performances and should continue to be judged in the same way.

“There is no conversation needed with them about their places in the team. Four years back, it wasn’t like they had to be reminded before every series that they would be in the team. They knew they would be in the team based on their performances. So how does that change now? It does not and should not change.“

Why the retirement talk has become louder

Dasgupta feels the discussion around Rohit and Kohli’s future has grown because both now play only ODI cricket for India.

He explained that when players feature across formats, one poor performance is quickly forgotten after success in another format. Since the two veterans are only available in ODIs, every innings attracts much more attention.

“This discussion about their future is getting exaggerated because they play only one format. When you play multiple formats, if you fail in one but score in the other, the failure is forgotten. So that’s a challenge for these two that can’t be denied. People will remember what they last did in this format because they play only one format. But the conversation with them should be the same as it was three years ago.”

Also Read: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi open with Rohit Sharma? India’s next ODI opening before 2027 World Cup

Rohit and Kohli showed form against England

Despite concerns over their future, both senior batters finished the recent ODI series against England with important contributions.

Rohit Sharma bounced back after a quiet start by scoring a brilliant century in the final ODI at Lord’s, while Virat Kohli registered two half-centuries during the series. With the 2027 ODI World Cup on the horizon, the experienced pair are expected to remain central to India’s plans as long as they continue delivering consistent performances.