Looking at Kohli and Rohit, they have a lot of cricket left: Gambhir

Post the T20 World Cup 2024 win, both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma confirmed their retirement from the shortest format, leaving them with just two formats. While there is no doubt that they are quintessential to India’s plans in the ODI and Test format, there has been a major worry over how long they can continue playing cricket, considering Rohit is 37 and Kohli is 35. 

India’s new head coach, Gautam Gambhir, however, quashed any concerns over the two players, stating that both have the mettle to continue dominating world cricket. The duo were picked for India's three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, the Men in Blue's first assignment under Gambhir. 

Gambhir also insisted that the duo don’t lack any sort of motivation to carry forward their good work in the 50-over format, even if it meant they would be 41 and 39 by the time of the 2027 ODI World Cup. 

"I think they have shown what they can deliver on the big stage, whether it's the T20 World Cup or the 50-over World Cup as well," Gambhir said in his first press conference. 

“One thing I can be very clear of is that both those guys have a lot of cricket left in them. More importantly, with the Champions Trophy [in 2025] and a big tour of Australia [in November 2024], obviously they would be motivated enough. And then, hopefully, if they can keep their fitness, the 2027 [ODI] World Cup as well,” he added. 

However, the asterisk was that the decision still remains with the players. There is no clarity on whether the two want to continue beyond the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan. The duo were integral in India’s run to the ODI World Cup 2023, where they lost in the final, with Kohli finishing the tournament with 765 runs while Rohit scored 597. 

"But this is a very personal decision. I can't say how much cricket is left in them. Ultimately, it's up to them as well, it's up to the players. How much can they contribute to the team's success. Because, ultimately, it's the team that is important.

"But looking at what Virat and Rohit can deliver, I think they still have a lot of cricket [left to play]. They're still world-class players and obviously any team would want to have both of them for as long as possible."

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