Gavaskar doesn't think future of Rohit, Virat is in their own hands anymore

Batting great Sunil Gavaskar has said Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's future in the Indian team now rests in the hands of the national selectors. Gavaskar did not mince any words after Team India surrendered the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia with a 1-3 series loss Down Under. India's failure to reach the World Test Championship final has also not gone well with the legend.

"Now that India has failed to qualify for the WTC final, it would be pertinent to reflect on the reasons that (why it) happened," Gavaskar said in an interaction with PTI. When explicitly asked about the future of Rohit and Kohli, Gavaskar replied: "How long they continue is really up to the selectors."

Both Rohit and Kohli have struggled to meet the great expectations on their shoulders. Their dismal form continued in Australia, where Kohli made just 190 runs from 9 innings, with an unbeaten hundred in Perth the highest, and Rohit's contributions were a paltry 31 runs from five innings. Across 11 Test matches in 2024, Kohli has made just one fifty and one hundred, while Rohit's best score in the last eight Test matches was 52 in the second innings against New Zealand in Bengaluru.

Though he has not insisted on seeing Rohit and Kohli make way for the youngsters, the message seemed clear. "We see our faces in the mirror every day and since we do that to us, we don't notice the changes that have come over the years. Only when we see photos or videos of earlier days do we notice the changes. It is then that we look to make the changes needed to look at our best. To do that, however, we need to take a long honest look at ourselves again," he said.

But Gavaskar wasn't just upset about the two star players, he criticised the entire batting department for the collective failure. "It is clear that in the last six months, the batting failed and that was the main reason that we lost matches that we should have won.

"So, if changes are required for the new cycle of the WTC, which starts in mid-June in England, then hopefully, the selectors will take into account who will still be there for the final in 2027 and choose accordingly," he added.

However, the veteran hailed the selection committee for giving an opportunity to Nitish Kumar Reddy, who was one of India's three centurions in Australia. "Compliments to Ajit Agarkar and his team for seeing the potential in Nitish Kumar Reddy and picking him for the Test squad too," Gavaskar said.