- By Vishal Pushkar
- Tue, 13 Jan 2026 10:44 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
India vs New Zealand: Two former captains of the Indian Cricket Team, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, are currently in the twilight of their respective international careers. As they represent India in just one format (ODI), both are actively involved in India’s long-term planning, including the preparations for the marquee ODI World Cup 2027, which will take place in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, as per a recent statement by India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak. On Tuesday, Kotak stated that both these stalwarts are completely aligned with the team management, including head coach Gautam Gambhir.
“They definitely make plans. Now that they’re playing only one format, they want India to win everywhere when they are there," Kotak told media persons during India’s pre-match presser in Rajkot.
“With the amount of experience they have, they can share a lot of ideas with other players, and they do discuss. They discuss with Gautam the ODI format, the matches that we have and our plans for South Africa," he added.
On Social Media, You See A Lot Of Things: Kotak
There have been several reports reflecting on the relations of Kohli and Rohit with the team coaching setup under head coach Gautam Gambhir. As per these reports, there has been a lack of communication between Kohli, Rohit and Gambhir ever since the duo retired from Test cricket in 2025.
“Most of the time I’m there, and if I’m listening, they definitely share the experience, and I always see them talking. Obviously, on social media, you see a lot of things which I try to avoid seeing. But (from) what I see, there are a lot of positives," Kotak said.
Ayush Badoni’s selection based on performance: Kotak
Kotak said possessing all-round skills was the reason for Ayush Badoni's maiden call-up to the national side when Washington Sundar was ruled out.
“He’s been performing, and it’s (the) selectors who pick the team. If we had only five bowlers (in the first ODI) and Washington got injured on the fourth (or the) fifth over, then who would have bowled those overs?" Kotak said.
“Somebody should be able to bowl four-five or (even) three-four overs, whatever (the situation) requires. I think that would be the reason (for his selection), and he has scored runs, and he can bowl. He’s been performing in IPL also," Kotak added.
Inputs from Agency