• Source:JND
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IND vs Aus: India's star batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will have to prove their worth during the three-match ODI series agains Australia to make sure that they keep hopes alive of playing in the next bilateral ODI series, since the Indian team management is clearly planning for the 2027 ODI World Cup, as per a Times of India report. Shubman Gill becoming the new ODI captain was the team management's plan and that of head coach Gautam Gambhir as well.

The message was clear to Rohit and Kohli about their future in this format till the World Cup, which will be held after two years.

Both Rohit and Virat are part of India's squad for the three-match ODI series against Australia as they were selected on the back of their performances in the Champions Trophy 2025.

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And from now on, both Kohli and Rohit will be picked on merit, according to the report.

“It has been a collective effort by Gambhir and Agarkar. They understand that it will be tough for both Rohit and Kohli to be at their peak after two years, given that they are in their late 30s," a BCCI source told the Times of India.

“They didn’t want to be caught off guard if suddenly Rohit or Kohli’s form dipped. It would have created chaos in the leadership group. The duo announcing retirement from Tests days before the selection for the England tour was a case in point," the source said.

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Rohit Sharma was removed as India's ODI skipper and given the captaincy to Gill, keeping the 2027 ODI World Cup in mind.

This decision by the selectors is seen as a generational shift, and since Kohli and Rohit have retired from the other two formats, there's a high chance they won't play a huge role in the team's plan for the 2027 World Cup.