Former Indian wicket-keeper bat Dinesh Karthik has shed light on Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma’s future ahead of the ODI series against Australia. Karthik said the veteran duo’s future will depend on the fact that they want to continue playing or not.
Karthik highlighted that Rohit and Kohli have been keeping themselves fit, which is a harbinger that they want to be part of the ODI World Cup.
In 2027, Rohit will be 40, while Kohli will be 38. Rohit was replaced by Shubman Gill as India’s ODI skipper recently, keeping the ODI showpiece in mind.
While Rohit has amassed 11,168 runs in 273 ODI matches at an impressive average of 48.77, Kohli has aggregated 14,181 runs in 302 ODI games at a stunning average of 57.88; thus, their records speak for themselves.
Dinesh Karthik said on Cricbuzz, “It is a long way away, but with these two players in it, it only adds to the value and depth that India has in terms of experience and, most importantly, as match-winners. For me, it’s a no-brainer to have them. It’s only a question of whether they want it, and by the looks of it, all they want to do is prepare for that 2027, a couple of years away, and the journey will start when they head to Australia after a long time.”
Karthik said Rohit still has the hunger to keep going at the top level and he wants to be part of the ODI World Cup winning team.
“First up, Rohit Sharma. I think from the moment he lost that 2023 World Cup final in Ahmedabad, his dream has been to be the captain of a team that wins a World Cup, which he achieved in 2024 in the Caribbean. But I think that fire is still burning. He wants to win a 50-over World Cup. He’s retired from two formats. If you look at the stats of Rohit Sharma from the 2023 World Cup onwards, over a thousand runs at an average of 48, and we all know the kind of strike rate he plays at.”
Meanwhile, Karthik also showered praise on Virat Kohli for his incredible numbers in ODIs. Kohli has been averaging 65 since the last ODI World Cup in 2023.
“And then we have the master of chases, the king as they call him, Virat Kohli. If you look at Virat Kohli’s stats post the 2023 World Cup, upwards of a thousand runs again at an average of 65, I don’t think you need to say more than that. He brings experience to the table and, most importantly, cometh the hour, cometh the man. We’ve heard it a long time and we’ve heard it a lot of times as well, but that line definitely belongs to Virat Kohli in cricket.”
The first ODI between India and Australia will be played at Perth on Sunday.
