Ajit Agarkar, the Chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee, has recently shed light on discussions surrounding Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's participation in Test cricket, specifically their absence from the England series. Agarkar revealed that the selectors were keen to have the experience of both Kohli and Sharma in the Test squad for the England series.
According to Agarkar, both Kohli and Sharma had communicated their decision to step away from Test cricket to the selection committee. "Both are stalwarts, and they had approached us. And once they have decided, you have got to respect their decision," Agarkar stated. He implied that the selectors respected their choice, even though they would have liked to have their experience, especially in a challenging series like the one in England.
Kohli and Sharma's last international appearance together was the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final against New Zealand. The Men in Blue won that tournament in the UAE under Rohit's leadership, whereas Virat was the team's second-highest run-getter.
Agarkar also addressed concerns about Kohli and Sharma's future in One Day International (ODI) cricket, particularly with the 2027 World Cup on the horizon. He stated that it would be "silly" to put them on trial in every game. "Once they start playing they will be assessed but they are not on trial," Agarkar clarified. He further explained that their performance in the upcoming series against Australia would not be the sole determinant of their selection for the 2027 World Cup. “It doesn't mean if they don't get runs in Australia, they would be dropped and similarly if they score three tons in Australia, they would be selected for 2027 World Cup,” Agarkar said.
These comments came after Agarkar announced Shubman Gill as the new ODI captain, replacing Rohit Sharma. Agarkar had remarked that both senior members of the squad remained non-committal to the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Agarkar also addressed the issue of Mohammed Shami's absence from the ODI squad. He clarified that Shami wasn't selected for the England series because he wasn't fit and his general match fitness hasn't been up to the mark in the last six to eight months.