Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Mithun Manhas has shared the board’s viewpoint about veteran Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s spots in India’s ODI squad with an eye on the ICC World Cup 2027.
Manhas stated that Kohli's and Rohit’s places in India’s 2027 World Cup squad should depend on their fitness and performances, not their age.
Manhas emphasized that players shouldn't be evaluated solely based on their age, but he noted that the coaches and selectors had the last say over the two senior batters.
“As far as the BCCI is concerned, we are not in a position to comment because it all depends on the selectors and the coaches. But from how I look at it, fitness and performance should be the criteria for selection, and definitely not age. If somebody is fit to play, and you see him performing and winning games for the country, that is the only criterion we should focus on", Manhas said in an exclusive chat with Sportstar.
While the discussion on selection continues, Manhas believes experience will remain vital for the Indian team in the ICC event. He claimed that in addition to Jasprit Bumrah's leadership within the bowling group, the presence of Kohli, Rohit, and Hardik Pandya might assist Gill in handling the responsibilities of captaincy.
“Having Virat, Hardik, and Rohit on the side will definitely help him. Then there are the likes of Bumrah, who could lead, who can be the bowling captain, and then somebody who will be the fielding captain. So, it is all about the distribution of workload,” Manhas said.
He continued by saying that when the squad is under pressure, older players may provide vital guidance based on their experience performing well under trying circumstances.
“They have been under pressure, and they have delivered so many times in crunch situations. So, it is a good combination,” he said.
In order to handle an increasingly challenging international schedule, Manhas also supported India's expanding talent pool. He claimed that depth will allow the squad to stay competitive across formats despite the difficulties caused by overlapping assignments and injuries.
“With so many tournaments taking place and injuries being a concern, having bench strength helps us manage all these challenges. It is good for Indian cricket to have so much competition. Competition pushes players to perform better, so it is a healthy sign for the game,” he said.
Manhas added that workload management needs to take individual demands into consideration and that the BCCI was developing efforts to strike a balance between cricket duties and players' recuperation.
“Every individual is different. We have to assess what an individual feels, and then we chalk out a plan,” he said.
