Seasoned Team India cricketer Manoj Tiwari believes head coach Gautam Gambhir should consider including Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the 2027 ODI World Cup squad. He believed it would be a big mistake if they were left out. Tiwari also revealed that since Gambhir has been the head coach, experienced players have been drifting away from the squad gradually.
Tiwari is of the opinion that Gautam Gambhir intentionally left out Ravichandran Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli to ensure no one ever questioned his decisions. He felt this has created stress in Indian cricket.
Ravichandran Ashwin retired from international cricket on India's tour of Australia in 2024. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from Test cricket in May 2025, a week apart from each other. The two cricketers had earlier retired from T20 Internationals and now only play ODI cricket.
Tiwari clarified that if senior players such as Ashwin, Rohit, and Kohli were in the team, they would have fought against the decisions made by the coach when they disagreed. Since they are not around, this battle within does not exist. He added that there have been several controversies that have emerged since Gambhir took charge as the head coach, something which he believes is not good for Indian cricket. He also pointed out that fresh players are being included in the team and being placed straight away in the last playing XI, which is surprising to him.
Tiwari also revealed the off-field stints of Rohit and Virat, describing them as the spine of India's cricket win. They are under stress now and might even go into retirement if they feel insulted, he cautioned. But he wishes that does not happen and believes Gambhir might take a change of heart.
Tiwari opined that both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are world-class cricketers for white-ball cricket, and they should never be left out of the 2027 ODI World Cup.
