BCCI informs Rohit Sharma he must decide his future after Champions Trophy; Virat Kohli spared: 'He's been told...'

With an eye on the future, the BCCI has told Rohit Sharma to decide on his future after the completion of the Champions Trophy 2025. Irrespective of how India perform in the marquee ICC tournament, the India captain has been asked to discuss his future so they can groom the next captain accordingly. Rohit, 38, finds himself in a race against time. While there is no doubt he wants to play on – he made it abundantly clear during the Sydney Test, which he sat out – his current returns don't support him. Unless Rohit does something extraordinary to roar back to form, such as enjoy a record-breaking CT or set the IPL 2025 on fire, his chances of going to England look slim. If that is the case, the BCCI needs to finalise India's next captain – at least for ODIs and Tests, for which they need an answer soon. Is the Champions Trophy the last we see of Rohit Sharma in India jersey?(PTI)

"The selectors and people in the board had this discussion with Rohit around the time of the last selection meeting. He has been told that he needs to decide how he wants to plan his future after the Champions Trophy. The team management has certain plans going into the next World Test Championship (WTC) cycle and the ODI World Cup. They want to ensure everyone is on the same page for a smoother transition," The Times of India quoted a BCCI source as saying.

While Rohit did what many Indian cricket fans had been waiting for since over a decade – win the T20 World Cup last year, he has always wanted to win the 50-overs World Cup. He came close in 2023, when India finished runner-up, losing to Australia in the final, but if he has to give it one more shot in 2027, Rohit will need to realise that he will be 40 by then. How Rohit gets there is something only him and the BCCI need to decide. Rohit could give up captaincy, but even then, he neds truckloads of runs if he has to make that trip to South Africa three years from now.

However, the bigger picture is Rohit's form. With three ODIs against England loading, followed by the Champions Trophy, the skipper desperately needs to smash himself back into form. The last time India played an ICC trophy – the 2023 World Cup – Rohit led from the front, giving attacking starts to set the platform. It is unlikely that his approach will chance. He played Mumbai's Ranji Trophy match against Assam, but was dismissed for 3 and 28. With him returning to India colours, in a format he has thrived in, the next few ODIs could be a make-or-break situation for Rohit's career and future.

Virat Kohli to get a slightly longer rope

Like Rohit, Virat Kohli too has struggled for form, but the selectors and the BCCI are willing to have a bit more patience with him. He finished the five-Test series against Australia with 190 runs from 10 innings – his worst batting stats Down Under in a full-fledged series. In fact, if one is to remove Kohli's 100 at Perth, his tally reads 90 runs from six innings.

Then again, with Kohli too returning to a format he has achieved tremendous success in, his future could depend on how he fared on the tour of England. Kohli has been on three England tours – scoring 134, 593 and 249 runs in 2014, 2018 and 2021 respectively, but his fourth could prove to be the most decisive one of his career.

"As for Virat Kohli, the selectors are willing to wait a bit more on his Test form, while his ODI prowess is not seen as a major problem," the report stated.

Click here to read article