Former Indian chairman of selectors Sandeep Patil has reckoned that he doesn’t see any major problem even if the veteran batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli don’t play in the ODI World Cup 2027, thanks to the team’s bench strength.
Rohit and Kohli will return to the field when India host the West Indies for a three-match ODI series, starting on Sunday, September 27 in Trivandrum. As there has been a lot of speculation about the veteran duo, the former cricketer shared his views.
“It is up to these two players. Will they want to continue playing? Will they be able to maintain their fitness? What is the selectors’ strategy? Are the selectors looking ahead? Along with the current players, we always have to consider whether we have someone strong enough to replace them if the time comes for them to be left out of the team. And considering the Indian team’s bench strength, which I just spoke about, I don’t think there will be any problems, whether Virat or Rohit are in the team or not,” Patil said on SportsNext.
“These two players have been around for many years and will be regarded as legends. Rohit Sharma has been a remarkable player in white-ball cricket. As far as Virat is concerned, the more I say about him, the less it will be,” he added.
Further, Sandeep noted that India still has three or four bowlers capable of bowling around 140 kmph. He went on to add that the Indian team doesn’t depend too heavily on Bumrah in the bowling attack.
“We have three or four bowlers who can bowl at speeds of around 140 kmph, and they are doing well. It’s not as though Indian bowling will come to a complete standstill once Jasprit Bumrah is gone. Someone or the other will come through. Just two days ago, I was at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru with VVS Laxman. Look at the facilities there. I would say the BCCI has done a remarkable job. With facilities like these, I am 100% confident that Indian cricket will continue to produce not just good bowlers but good batters,” he concluded.
