New Delhi: Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has criticised the national team’s management for lacking clear communication and succession planning with senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, particularly as India looks ahead to the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin highlighted that while it is natural for cricket boards to transition from veteran players to younger talent, the manner in which this is done matters. “It’s easy to say, ‘They’re old, it’s time to move on,’ but how we handle these legends needs to be better,” he said, referring to Rohit’s replacement as ODI captain by Shubman Gill.
Ashwin underscored the importance of Knowledge Transfer (KT) in cricket, noting that senior players possess invaluable insights on handling pressure, injuries, fielding positions, and game situations. “When players like Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal first joined the team, they didn’t understand nuances like angles for positions such as short leg or silly point. That knowledge needs to be shared,” he said.
He also pointed out gaps in India’s past transitions, citing the shift from Rahul Dravid to Gautam Gambhir in leadership roles as an example of how lack of a clear roadmap can hinder KT. “If there’s no vision or plan from management, KT from players becomes impossible,” Ashwin said.
While hoping that Rohit and Kohli have been informed about their future roles, he stressed that these discussions should have ideally happened after their T20 retirements last year to reduce uncertainty and speculation.
Ashwin added that if Rohit and Kohli manage to feature in the 2027 World Cup squad, it would be a monumental achievement given their limited cricketing activity outside the IPL. “Both deserve immense respect for their commitment. A little more communication, not just to them but across the team, would have helped immensely,” he concluded.
