New Delhi, July 21, 2026
Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has thrown his weight behind Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli amid renewed debate over their future, insisting the veteran duo have earned the right to decide when they step away from the game.
Speaking after Rohit’s 138 in the series decider at Lord’s against England, Ashwin said the two batting stalwarts remain untouchable as long as they are willing to continue representing India.
“They cannot touch Virat and Rohit if they want to play. It is because of their credentials. Rohit has scored almost 12,000 runs; they cannot touch him. The other thing is that they are batters, and if you touch them, they have an army. People come to see them. If you drop them, it will just break the roof down,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
Praising the former India captain’s approach, Ashwin said Rohit looked in complete control once he settled into his innings and believed an even bigger score was within reach. “This is a phenomenal knock. He was set after hitting that pull to Josh Tongue. I feel that this is Rohit’s road to a comeback after an injury. If he were in a slightly better state or were more confident, he could have scored 180 and won the match for the team. I felt like Rohit was in really good form,” he added.
Ashwin also suggested that Rohit’s motivation now stems from his own desire to feature at the next ODI World Cup rather than from any need to answer critics or prove his credentials.
“The position he is in and the way he batted, it’s not that difficult for him. We have seen him for so many years; there’s nothing left to prove. Whom does he have to prove? It is only about the internal appetite: I want to go to the World Cup, that’s why I need to play like this,” Ashwin stated.
Despite Rohit’s masterful 138, India were restricted to 360/7 as England held their nerve in the closing overs to register a 27-run victory at Lord’s and clinch the three-match ODI series 2-1.(Agency)
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