Gavaskar Suggests Kohli, Rohit‘s Australia ODI Return Motivated by World Cup Final Loss
Former India batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has sparked debate by suggesting that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s availability for the upcoming ODI series against Australia is driven by India’s defeat to the same opponent in the 2023 World Cup final.
Gavaskar stated he believes the duo would not have made themselves available had the series been against teams like zimbabwe or the West Indies. “I’m pretty certain that if this were a trip to Zimbabwe or the West Indies, both of them would not have been available. But as this is in Australia, and because India lost to Australia in the World Cup final, maybe that is the reason why both of them have decided, yes, I want to be available for this,” he told India Today.
The pair were named in the squad by BCCI’s chief selector Ajit agarkar on Saturday,marking their first return to international cricket since the Champions Trophy in the UAE earlier this year.While Agarkar did not confirm their inclusion in World Cup plans, he indicated their performance in the Australia series would be a significant factor.
Gavaskar acknowledged the challenge facing Kohli and Rohit in securing a spot for future World Cups, emphasizing the limited number of ODI matches scheduled.”It’s not easy to be playing just seven or eight ODIs in a season while preparing for something as big as a World Cup,” he said, noting the imbalance between ODI and T20 commitments.
He also echoed agarkar’s sentiment, suggesting participation in the vijay Hazare Trophy is crucial for maintaining match practice. “They will have to play the Vijay Hazare Trophy in India whenever it’s scheduled, if it doesn’t clash with any international ODI tournaments. That’s one way to stay in trim and maintain match practice,” Gavaskar added.