India recently suffered a 1-3 defeat in the five-match Test series against Australia. Now, head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar will hold a review meeting of the Australia tour with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials on Saturday. It is believed that the future of Virat Kohli and captain Rohit Sharma may also be discussed during this meeting.
Defeats Against New Zealand and Australia
India faced consecutive series losses at home against New Zealand and during the tour to Australia, with both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma coming under fire due to their failures with the bat. There are discussions on whether to activate the change process starting from next month’s Champions Trophy or wait until after the ICC tournament. However, it is almost certain that the senior batsmen will be given another chance to return to form and will be part of the Champions Trophy in the ODI format, as both players have historically impressed in ODIs.
Rohit and Kohli’s Limited ODI Appearances in 2024
After the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, Rohit and Kohli played only three ODIs in 2024, which were not significant opportunities to assess their career in the format. In the series against Sri Lanka, Kohli managed scores of 24, 14, and 20 runs, while Rohit played innings of 58, 64, and 35 runs. Despite their recent form, the Champions Trophy will provide an ideal opportunity for both players to return to form in ODIs.
Assessing Rohit and Kohli’s Form in ODIs and Tests
Rohit and Kohli’s Test futures are a different matter. India will play a five-match Test series against England in June, where the form of both batsmen will be evaluated. Kohli recently scored a century in the second innings of the Perth Test on the Australian tour but struggled to play substantial innings afterwards, ending the series with 190 runs at an average of 23.75. For Rohit, the Australia tour was disappointing, as he scored just 31 runs after missing the first match due to the birth of his second child.
Coaching Staff Performance Under Review
The performance of the coaching staff, led by Gautam Gambhir, will also be under review. With the team’s performance in the recent series, questions may arise regarding the future direction of the coaching staff and their strategies moving forward. Gambhir’s outlook on the future of Rohit and Kohli in Tests, as well as the overall coaching approach, will be a point of discussion.