R Ashwin stated that considering Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s contributions, the BCCI owed them clear communication and respect.
Ashwin Criticises BCCI Over Kohli–Rohit ODI Saga, Calls for Better Communication
Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin on Wednesday strongly criticised the BCCI’s handling of the Virat Kohli–Rohit Sharma ODI situation, highlighting a “lack of communication and sensitivity” from the board. With speculation swirling over whether Kohli and Rohit will feature in India’s ODI World Cup plans, and chief selector Ajit Agarkar remaining non-committal, Ashwin questioned why the selectors did not outline a roadmap for the 2027 edition when the duo announced their T20I retirement after the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin avoided debating the merits of Shubman Gill’s appointment as ODI captain or the speculation about Kohli and Rohit’s future. Instead, he stressed the importance of clear communication with senior players nearing the end of their careers.
Ashwin explained that Indian cricket lacks a proper transition plan, with minimal knowledge transfer and communication between experienced players like Kohli and Rohit and emerging talents. This leaves no roadmap for handling pressure, injuries, or leadership transitions effectively.
“On one side is selection, on the other side is Kohli and Rohit. These are two sides of the same coin. Upon examining the selection, it is clear that the selectors are moving forward. However, in this process, they have two players who are nearing the end of their careers. One thing I would like to mention is that you need to improve the way you handle such players. It is very easy to say that they have grown old and they should retire. One of the reasons we feel this way is that we see many young players in the IPL performing well, and we believe they can replace these experienced players. However, during this process, one thing we often overlook is solid communication and knowledge transfer. I request that this be addressed in the future,” he said.
He added, “Knowledge transfer, or KT, doesn’t mean Kohli and Rohit will be teaching Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma new shots; rather, it will show them how to handle pressure situations and deal with injuries. The way Kohli and Rohit batted in the 2023 ODI World Cup, they have nothing to prove, but does KT have any space? There is actually no space for KT in Indian cricket because there is no transition phase. Rahul Dravid was a coach at one time, then Gautam Gambhir took over. We did not have any template that, after Dravid, Gambhir would be the coach, so taking KT from Dravid was not possible. And after Gambhir, for whom will the KT go? If there is no roadmap from the management side, this cannot happen from the players’ side.”
Ashwin Stresses Clear Communication for Rohit and Kohli Amid ODI Selection Plans
Ravichandran Ashwin expressed concern over the timing of informing Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli about the selection committee’s plans for the ODI series against Australia. While both players have been picked for the series, Ashwin felt that waiting until now to communicate the roadmap was inappropriate. He believed the discussion should have happened immediately after they retired from T20Is following India’s World Cup win in Barbados last year.
“I really hope the conversation has already taken place with Kohli and Rohit. But if it happened now, why didn’t it happen during their retirement from T20Is in the World Cup last year? Had they been told then, they would have said, ‘Okay, boss, do we want to play because this is what the team wants to take a direction and this is what the choices are?’ But this leaves a lot of uninformed space, which leads to speculations. And there shouldn’t be speculations. It should have been a straight conversation. If the communication is not clear and transparent, and if it is not done with a forward-looking vision, it leaves players in a very vulnerable position,” Ashwin said.
He emphasized that given Kohli and Rohit’s immense contribution to Indian cricket, the BCCI owed them respect, clear communication, and opportunities. “Given the magnitude of their contribution to Indian cricket, there was a need for communication, not only to them, but also to everyone, explaining how we communicated and what it entails. There are still two years until the ODI World Cup, and if they do make it, I will take my hat off to both of them, because that would require immense commitment, as they won’t get much cricket beyond the IPL. For them to achieve it, they need that opportunity, and they have deserved that respect. So that sensitivity was required,” Ashwin concluded.
