Gautam Gambhir, Ajit Agarkar Asked To Spell Out Kohli, Rohit Expectations Amid Dressing Room Issues

Since the day Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma announced their retirement from T20Is and Tests, questions have been raised over their future in ODI cricket. Many said that India's tour of Australia for a 3-match ODI series will likely be the last for Kohli and Rohit. A similar debate left the social media abuzz ahead of the ODI assignment against South Africa. The constant chatter around the veteran duo's future has reportedly disturbed the dressing room atmosphere too, something that the well-wishers of Indian cricket aren't happy about.

Several reports suggest that Kohli's relationship with head coach Gautam Gambhir has turned cold. In fact, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) sent national selector Pragyan Ojha with the team to Raipur for the second ODI, asking him to help resolve the conflict between the coach and the player.

Former India cricketer Deep Dasgupta isn't pleased with the current affairs in the team and has asked all parties to sit together and sort things out.

"You can't go into every series with the same discussions going around. One needs to sit with them and get everything sorted. The team management and selectors need to spell out clearly what they expect from Kohli and Rohit," Dasgupta told the Times of India.

Dasgupta has also asked Rohit and Kohli to clarify how they wish to prepare for the 2027 ODI World Cup, as they are only playing one format at present.

"Similarly, Rohit and Kohli also offer an idea of how they want to plan their preparation for the World Cup in 2027. You want the dressing room to be a fun place and at peace," he added.

On Tuesday, it was confirmed that Kohli has told the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) about his availability for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy. Rohit, on the other hand, had cleared his availability for the domestic One-day tournament a few weeks ago. 

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team South Africa Cricket Team Virat Kohli Rohit Sharma India vs South Africa 2025, India Deep Dasgupta Gautam Gambhir Ajit Agarkar Cricket