Manhas: Fitness and form, not age, should determine Kohli and Rohit’s World Cup selection

On October 13, 2026 in Srinagar, BCCI president Mithun Manhas said Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s selection for the 2027 ODI World Cup should depend on fitness and performance rather than age. He made the remarks to The Hindu.

“As far as the BCCI is concerned, we are not in a position to comment because it all depends on the selectors and the coaches. But from how I look at it, fitness and performance should be the criteria for selection, and definitely not age,” he told The Hindu. “If somebody is fit to play, and you see him performing and winning games for the country, that is the only criterion we should focus on.” He made the remarks on Tuesday while in Srinagar.

Manhas said experience would be important as Shubman Gill prepares to lead India in the next ODI World Cup.

“Having Virat, Hardik and Rohit in the side will definitely help him. Then there is Bumrah, who could be the bowling captain, and somebody who could be the fielding captain. It’s all about distribution of workload,” Manhas said.

He added that senior players could be crucial under pressure because of their past ability to perform in difficult moments. “They have been under pressure and delivered so many times in crunch situations. So, it’s valuable,” he said.

Manhas also supported India’s expanding player pool as a tool to handle a busy international schedule, noting that overlapping assignments and injuries pose challenges and that squad depth would assist the team across formats.

His comments framed selection discussions ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup, while he reiterated that final decisions rest with the selectors and coaches.