- By Namrata Vijay
- Sun, 19 Oct 2025 01:38 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
IND vs AUS 1st ODI: India's star batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are now being asked to follow the same path as that of MS Dhoni since they couldn't do much in their comeback match. Playing international cricket after seven months, both Kohli and Rohit failed to fire with the bat in the series opener against Australia, as they scored 8 and 0 runs.
After their disappointing performance, ex-India bowler Varun Aaron revealed how they need to play consistently to stay in touch with this sport, as they are now just one-format players. He said how MS Dhoni used to play in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy post retiring from the longest format to stay ready for a match.
“Play domestic cricket. The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy starts in November, and then the Vijay Hazare Trophy starts in December. That’s the best way to be in touch with the game. I remember when MS Dhoni retired from Test cricket, he played a few Syed Mushaq Ali and Vijay Hazare Trophy. That’s a great way to stay in touch. I am sure both the batters are going to look at that. Now, you are not playing two formats. They are going to need match practice,” Aaron was quoted as saying on Star Sports.
Dhoni had also represented Jharkhand in a domestic tournament after retiring from the longest format. He had featured in seven matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2015-16 and then played in eight games of the next season.
Aakash Chopra also said that it will be difficult for both Rohit and Kohli to find their form since they are now just one-format players. He also said that Rohit should work on the quantity of runs.
“The fact of the matter is that it’s tough. We have been talking about how difficult it will be to hit the ground running when you are a one-format player. They are not in familiar territory. Also, a good shot, a loose shot, and then a good ball. This is how life unfolds for an opening batter. In this new role as only a primary batter and not as captain, I was thinking he was going to focus a lot more on quantity. Quality is always there; we have seen how he’s changed gears. He has started playing a different brand of cricket. Now we have to look at the quantum of runs,” he said.
Both Kohli and Rohit did play in domestic cricket this year, post the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where they represented Mumbai and Delhi. Since the white-ball domestic season is about to begin, it will be interesting to see if they play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy or not, since the Indian team will be playing a few ODIs before the 2027 ODI World Cup.