‘Both have lot of cricket left in them’: Gautam Gambhir on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's future

Under head coach Gautam Gambhir, India sets off a new chapter when they square against Sri Lanka in a white ball bilateral series of 3 T20Is and 3 ODIs starting on Saturday. Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar held a press conference in Mumbai on Monday, July 22, 2024, ahead of the series, where they answered many press questions. All eyes are on India to see the team's performance and strategic orientation under Gambhir's leadership, as this series is the first one the new head coach works on.

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Gautam Gambhir says Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have a lot of cricket left in them

Citing their exploits in big events, Gautam Gambhir voiced hope in Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's capacity to shine internationally. Particularly with significant competition like the Champions Trophy and an impending trip of Australia on schedule, Gambhir thinks both players have the will and ability to keep contributing consistently and can stretch till the 2027 ODI World Cup. Although the choice is personal, he stresses the players' ongoing world-class ability and their contributions to the team's success. Gautam Gambhir said: 

"I think they've shown what they can deliver on the big stage whether it was the T20 World Cup and in the 50 over World cup as well. I think both those guys have got a lot of cricket left in them and more importantly with the Champions Trophy and a big tour of Australia, obviously they would be motivated enough and then hopefully they can keep their fitness till the 2027 World Cup as well. 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 and they're still world-class players and obviously any team would want to have both of them for as long as possible."

India vs Sri Lanka squad

India’s T20I Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Ꮪhubman Gill (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohd. Siraj. 

India’s ODI Squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Ꮪhubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana.