Ravichandran Ashwin has said that players of the stature of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli cannot simply be overlooked if they still want to play for India, as speculation about their futures continues.
The debate around Rohit’s ODI future grew after reports suggested selectors might not consider him beyond the current England tour. The India captain answered in the third ODI at Lord’s with 138 off 110 balls, keeping his side in the hunt in a chase of 388.
Ashwin’s argument
Speaking on his YouTube channel, ‘Ash Ki Baat’, Ashwin said the records of the two batters have given them a special place in Indian cricket. He noted that Rohit has close to 12,000 ODI runs, and that the huge following both men enjoy makes any decision about their future far weightier than for most players.
He also contrasted the reaction to dropping batting stars with that for bowlers. When names such as Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj or Bhuvneshwar Kumar are left out, he said, questions are asked, but the response never approaches the intensity seen over Rohit or Kohli. In his view, their popularity means public sentiment plays a real part in selection discussions.
Rohit’s reply at Lord’s
Rohit had made 19 and 4 in the first two ODIs before his innings at Lord’s. His 138 contained 17 fours and five sixes and was his 34th ODI century. It also made him the first Indian batter to score an ODI hundred at Lord’s, underlining his value to the side while the retirement talk goes on.
