If the Indian cricket team had already decided that Rohit Sharma would not be part of its plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup, the decision should have been communicated immediately after India's 2025 Champions Trophy victory, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has said.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin criticised the way Indian cricket has handled senior players nearing the end of their careers. He said there was no worse feeling for a player than being made to feel unwanted by the team they had served for years.
'DON'T MAKE ROHIT FEEL UNWANTED'
Drawing from his own retirement during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Ashwin said he sensed the team management no longer wanted him despite performing well earlier in the season.
He said players cannot deliver their best once they begin to feel unwanted, adding that no one can thrive in an environment where they no longer feel valued.
ASHWIN QUESTIONS TIMING
Amid speculation over Rohit's ODI future, Ashwin argued that both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli still have an important role to play at the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, particularly given the conditions there.
While acknowledging Rohit's recent dip in form, Ashwin said it was simply a temporary slump and not enough reason to move on from an experienced player.
He questioned why the selectors had allowed the uncertainty to continue until just a year before the World Cup, saying that if the decision had already been made, it should have been conveyed much earlier.
Ashwin added that players may initially be disappointed by such conversations but would eventually appreciate honest and clear communication.
He also pointed out that neither Rohit nor Kohli had performed poorly enough to justify such speculation, describing Kohli's form as excellent and Rohit's as above average.
REFLECTS ON HIS OWN EXIT
Ashwin also spoke about his own experience with the Indian team management, saying he never received direct communication about his future.
He suggested that being asked to mentor younger players was an indirect indication that his time with the national team was coming to an end.
Ashwin said he preferred straightforward conversations over indirect messaging, adding that such situations can make senior players feel unwanted.
Speculation over Rohit's future has intensified ahead of the third ODI against England at Lord's, with reports suggesting it could be his final appearance in the format. Rohit has represented India in 287 ODIs, scoring 11,757 runs at an average of 48.58, including 33 centuries. If he retires, he will finish as the seventh-highest run-scorer in ODI history.
