“There is clarity now after the captain’s statement”

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif made a huge remark on the future of veteran batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli ahead of the ODI series against the West Indies. The Men in Blue will host the West Indies for three one-dayers starting Sunday, September 27.

India captain Shubman Gill had made a statement on Rohit and Kohli, stating the team would need their experience for the 2027 World Cup. With a lot of chatter around the future of the two batters and their place in the side, Kaif reckoned that Gill’s statement had made things clear.

“Gill the captain had given a statement which I liked. He was reluctant to talk about it before but his recent statement, where he said we need Rohit and Virat’s experience in South Africa and they are important for the team, I liked it. Sometimes, it is the captain who runs the team, not the coach or selectors. I think he realised at the right time and now I don’t think each series will be a test for them. There is clarity now after the captain’s statement. Maybe he would not have said it, both of them scored runs and answered the questions with their performance,” he said in a video on his YouTube channel.

Kaif added that both Rohit and Kohli would surely play the 2027 World Cup. Moreover, he touched upon how both batters have been in good form, particularly Kohli, keeping him above and stating that he is at his peak despite the age factor. The former India cricketer highlighted how Kohli has been consistent in his last few innings.

“If they get out, the questions will still be there. But after this statement, I feel both will play, both are needed. I don’t think Virat has been in such solid form before. The 10-12 innings, he is scoring 100s and 60s and 70s. He is showing that he is at his peak even at 37. Rohit also scored a hundred at Lord’s. I keep Virat slightly ahead as he is in solid form. But both of them have done well and have answered the questions. It is the right way to set an example.”

In his last ten ODI innings, Kohli has scored three hundreds and five half-centuries. His scores read 74*, 135, 102, 65*, 93, 23, 124, 5, 65, and 74.

Former India batter on biggest challenge for Shubman Gill ahead of World Cup

In the same video, former India batter Mohammad Kaif also reflected on the biggest challenge for skipper Shubman Gill ahead of the World Cup. More than Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli, he reckoned that India’s bowling and sorting the bowling combination according to the conditions in South Africa would be the biggest challenge.

“According to conditions, we have heard that it will be different in South Africa. There will be similarities in New Zealand so we will know there as to which batter is doing well. Playing there will help in knowing what the combination and XI can be. I think these things will become clear after the New Zealand ODIs. The biggest test for Gill is not handling Virat and Rohit, even though the focus is on them. My focus is on how he will handle the bowling. Without Bumrah, Siraj, Kuldeep, we gave away so many runs in that lost ODI in England. So sorting out the bowling is the biggest challenge,” he said.

Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Mohammed Siraj, Auqib Nabi are the four pacers in India’s squad for the West Indies series with Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh away for the Asian Games 2026. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Ravindra Jadeja are the two bowling all-rounders with Kuldeep Yadav being the lead spinner.