Madan Lal tells BCCI: Don’t push Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma into retirement; they still look 28–30

Madan Lal warned BCCI against pushing Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma into retirement, insisting only they should decide their ODI future amid internal concerns.

Former India selector Madan Lal warned the BCCI's incumbent selection committee and the team management not to pressurise Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma into retirement from international cricket. He stressed that, given their achievements in the ODI format, only the two senior batters should decide when to walk away.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli after the team lost the second ODI cricket match against South Africa in Raipur(PTI)

Kohli and Rohit stepped away from T20Is in June last year, and from Tests earlier this May. However, they remain active in ODI cricket, with the long-term aim of representing India at the ICC 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa.

Their decision to commit to just one format has sparked concern within the BCCI regarding their fitness, form, longevity and reduced game time. As a result, the board has been non-committal about confirming their roles in the World Cup plans. Earlier this week, a media report even claimed that key decision-makers are waiting for a potential slip-up from either player to justify excluding them from the squad.

“It is their decision and not anybody else’s. So (it should be) whatever they decide,” Lal told PTI Videos on the sidelines of an Asian Legends League Season 2.

“But the way they are playing the ODI series, shows that they are still very, very fresh and look like they are some 28 or 30-years-old.

“The way Virat Kohli is running (between the wickets while) taking the singles and hitting the balls. It’s nice to see (the way they are going),” he added.

Kohli and Rohit have been in impressive form since their return to competitive cricket in October in the tour of Australia. Rohit scored a fifty and 121 to win the Player of the Series award, and followed it up with another half-century score in the opening ODI match against South Africa last Sunday. Kohli, on the other hand, scored 74 in the final tie in Australia, and then notched up back-to-back centuries against the Proteas.

Lal, however, sympathised with the selectors and the coaching staff in the wake of the criticism against them following India's home Test series whitewash last month against the Temba Bavuma-led side.

“The first person to be criticised is the coach and the selector, I have been both, so they will get the criticism, never mind. As long as your conscience is right, that matters,” he said.

“If the team is not doing good then it becomes a case of (critics) going after the selectors. But if the team is not doing well then it is also a calculative thing that your coach is as good as your team.”