India head coach Gautam Gambhir has addressed the ongoing speculation surrounding the future of senior batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli ahead of India’s upcoming tour of England, set to begin in June. Speaking at an ABP event in Delhi on Tuesday, Gambhir emphasized that the decision to retire should rest solely with the players themselves and maintained that as long as they are performing, they deserve to be in the team.
“The coach doesn’t select the squad; that’s the job of the selectors,” Gambhir clarified. “My role is to pick the playing XI from the squad. That’s how it has always been — even before me.”
He further added, “As long as they are delivering results, there’s no reason they shouldn’t continue. Retirement is a personal decision. No coach, selector, or even the BCCI can dictate that. If you’re performing, why stop at 40? Play till 45 if you can.”
The BCCI is expected to announce the squad for the five-Test series in England in the coming days. While both Rohit and Kohli have been in fine touch in white-ball cricket, their red-ball form over the past 8–9 months has raised concerns. In India’s last Test series against Australia, both veterans struggled, leading to questions about their future in the longest format.
However, their match-winning contributions during India’s Champions Trophy triumph helped silence some of those doubts.
Kohli is widely expected to retain his place in the squad, but uncertainty looms over Rohit’s inclusion — especially regarding leadership responsibilities, with Jasprit Bumrah reportedly not being considered for the captaincy role.
For More Sports Related News: Follow RevSportz