Will Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli be given farewell in Australia? BCCI finally breaks silence

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Vice President Rajeev Shukla has put an end to speculation that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli would retire after the upcoming ODI series against Australia.

Shukla told ANI that Rohit and Virat's presence will benefit the team, as both are excellent batsmen. He said, "The presence of Rohit and Virat in the ODI team is beneficial for us. Both are great batsmen. With both of them, I believe we will be able to defeat Australia."

Shukla also said, "As far as the last series for both of them is concerned, there is nothing like that. We will never get involved in such matters. It depends on the player when he wants to retire. Saying that this is the last series is completely wrong."

The World Cup is the target

It should be noted that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been selected for the three-match ODI series against Australia, starting October 19th. Both veterans aim to play in the 2027 ODI World Cup, which will be hosted by South Africa and Namibia.

Shubman Gill has been appointed the new captain, while Abhishek Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh, and Tilak Verma have made their mark with strong performances. These players are raising questions about the future of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. By 2027, Rohit will be 40, while Kohli will be 39.

Rohit and Kohli's ODI career

Rohit Sharma is India's fourth-highest run-scorer in ODIs. He has scored 11,168 runs in 268 innings of 273 matches at an average of 48.76, including 32 centuries and 58 half-centuries. His best individual score is 264. This year, Rohit has scored 302 runs in 8 ODIs at an average of 37.75 and a strike rate of 108.24, including one century and a half-century.

Virat Kohli is India's second-highest scorer in ODIs. He has scored 14,181 runs in 290 innings of 302 ODIs at an average of 57.88, including 51 centuries and 74 half-centuries. His best score is 183. In seven ODIs this year, Kohli has scored 275 runs at an average of 45.83, including one century and two half-centuries.