Former India captain and BCCI selector Dilip Vengsarkar has expressed concerns over the selection of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the upcoming ODI series against Australia, emphasising the difficulty of assessing players who participate in only one format. With Ajit Agarkar leading the selection committee, Vengsarkar stressed that a decisive call on the future of these two veterans is urgently needed.

India is set to tour Australia for a high-profile white-ball series, featuring a three-match ODI contest and a five-match T20I showdown. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, now solely active in ODIs, will be part of the squad as specialist batters under the leadership of newly appointed ODI captain Shubman Gill. This marks the first time since 2016 that Kohli and Rohit will be playing together under a different captain.

Both players were last seen in international action during India’s victorious ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign, where they played pivotal roles in guiding the team to back-to-back tournament wins.

ALSO READ: Rahul Dravid Predicted Shubman Gill’s Rise To India Captaincy Years Ago

Despite their legendary status and match-winning capabilities, the BCCI decided to relieve Rohit Sharma of the ODI captaincy as part of a generational transition, giving Gill the reins with two years to prepare for the next ODI World Cup. In an interview with mid-day, Dilip Vengsarkar reflected on the challenges of evaluating one-format players.

“Rohit and Virat have been great players over the years, but if you are playing just one format of the game, I believe the selectors need to take a call on this. You cannot really know or judge the form and fitness of such players because they’ve had a long layoff after the last game they played. It’s very difficult to assess their readiness,” he said.

Vengsarkar suggested that the selection of Rohit and Kohli appears to be based largely on their illustrious past records rather than recent form. “Rohit and Virat have possibly been picked because of their great records. They have been outstanding for Indian cricket, having won many matches across formats,” he noted.

He also highlighted the decline in ODI fixtures, which limits match practice for specialists.

“Since they are not playing Tests or T20s and only one-day matches, which are infrequent, it’s difficult to gauge their form and fitness. The selectors may have checked, though I don’t know how,” Vengsarkar added.

ALSO READ: Rishabh Pant Eyes Comeback In Ranji Trophy After Foot Injury

Finally, the former Indian captain urged the selection panel to consider promoting all-format players. “It’s really up to the selectors whether they want to stick with Rohit and Virat or look ahead and give opportunities to players available for all formats. It depends on how they envision the future of Indian cricket,” he concluded.