Ravi Ashwin warns Virat Kohli about being next target after Rohit Sharma; Know here

Rohit Sharma is expected to be dropped from ODIs after the ENG vs IND ODI series.

Although former Indian spinner Ravi Ashwin has retired from international cricket, he is still quite active in expressing his views and opinions on the happenings inside the Indian Cricket Team. Last month, when Shreyas Iyer replaced Suryakumar Yadav as the T20I captain, Ashwin slammed the decision.

He reiterated that Iyer was not the right candidate as he was out of the T20I team for over two years, and someone else was more deserving than him to get the post. Now, Ashwin has also expressed his strong views on Rohit Sharma’s expected retirement from ODI cricket.

According to reports, Rohit will play his last game in ENG vs IND 3rd ODI at The Lord’s on July 19. The Ajit Agarkar-led Indian selection committee has decided to move on from the former Indian captain after the England tour and try youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal as an opener for the next two years.

Although Rohit wishes to continue playing in the 50-over format in the future, his poor performances since the start of 2026 have forced selectors to go ahead with the decision. Also, the management does not want to induct Rohit into the India squad for the ICC ODI World Cup 2027 in South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.

Ravi Ashwin believes Virat Kohli could be the next target after Rohit Sharma

Amid reports of Rohit’s ouster from the ODI team, Ravi Ashwin has warned that Virat Kohli could be the next player to lose his spot. On his YouTube channel, Ashwin said that if Kohli struggles to perform at his best in the forthcoming months, he might face a similar fate to that of Sharma.

“The way this is going, Virat also has to be on top of his game, unfortunately, He’s batting beautifully. I’ve never seen Virat bat like this. I’d love to have him in the squad in South Africa, but he has to stay on top of it. I don’t know, I hope it’s not the case, but seriously, Rohit hasn’t been too bad either,” Ashwin said in his YouTube channel.

The 39-year-old also feels that dropping a player is inevitable, but the decision should be communicated properly. He also noted that a big player like Rohit should be asked to leave with dignity and not forcefully.

“Anyone can be dropped -that’s the selector, captain, and coach’s job. If someone is dropped, there’s no problem with that. You can ask, ‘What can I do?’ If it’s not working, then we won’t drop you? If it’s age, then we won’t drop you? My point is, there should be a direct communication channel, done properly,” he said.

“The problem is that if you look at big corporations, layoffs happen. When someone at a senior level who has contributed a lot to the company is let go, they should have a proper conversation. If someone has performed for two decades for the country, achieved so much, at least talk to them properly, show them the path with dignity,” he added.

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