With both Rohit and Kohli now featuring exclusively in One-Day Internationals, discussion around their places in India’s squad for the next World Cup has intensified.
Photo: IANS
With the 2027 ODI World Cup still more than a year away, questions around India’s long-term plans have already begun, prompting two-time World Cup-winning former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni to offer a clear-eyed view on the role of veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
With both Rohit and Kohli now featuring exclusively in One-Day Internationals, discussion around their places in India’s squad for the next World Cup has intensified. The tournament will be staged across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia between October and November 2027.
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Dhoni, however, made it clear that age should not be a deciding factor in selection.
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“Why not? Listen, the thing is—why should somebody not play the next World Cup? For me, age is not a criteria. Performance and fitness, these are the criteria. I always feel nobody should be told anything, but things should be clear: everyone will be treated the same way. When I made my debut, I was 24. Nobody came and told me anything then. So now, if I’m playing for India for one year, two years, ten years, or twenty years—whatever it is—nobody needs to come and tell me about my age,” Dhoni said.
He reinforced the point by stressing that fitness, not age, determines a player’s readiness for international cricket.
“Is age a factor? No. Is fitness a factor? Yes, fitness is a factor. Even if you’re 22, if you’re not fit, you shouldn’t be there; there are criteria for playing international cricket,” Dhoni added before continuing.
“When it comes to whether it’s Rohit, Virat, or other names that will come forward in three, five, or ten years’ time, the whole thing is this: just because somebody is in their 30s, it’s not for us to decide whether they can play the next World Cup. It’s for them to decide. If they keep performing and have the urge to do well for the country, then why not?”
The former India stumper also underlined the value of experience at major tournaments, explaining that it cannot be fast-tracked.
“How do you get experienced people? You can’t get a 20-year-old who’s experienced unless it’s Sachin Tendulkar. You can only get experience if you start playing when you’re 16 or 17, and international cricket is very different. If you want experience, you need people who are 30, 32, or 33—because that’s what experience actually is. If you’re calling 20 or 25 games ‘experience,’ that’s not it. You need people who have been under the pump in their job,” said Dhoni.
“This becomes even more crucial for people batting down the order or bowlers who bowl those death overs when games are close. As a bowler, if I’m under the pump 15 or 20 times, I might have to play 80 or 85 games to truly experience that—to know how to tame my heart, tame my emotions, and handle the pressure.”
Returning to the broader selection debate, Dhoni reiterated the importance of fairness and consistency, regardless of a player’s age.
“I feel the right combination of experience and youthfulness is very important, but not at the cost of fitness. If you want to compete at the top level, you have to be fit. If you’re 35 and fit, then 35 doesn’t matter. Performance matters equally for a 24-year-old and a 35-year-old. Treat everyone equally. If people are performing, they’ll be there. If they aren’t, they won’t,” he said.
“People often say the next World Cup is three or four years down the line—well, if a guy isn’t fit by then, you can drop him at any point. If he’s not performing, you’ll drop him anyway. There should be no question regarding any individual when it comes to selection. There is only one criteria: if you’re performing and you’re fit, keep on playing,” Dhoni further stated.
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