India’s Champions Trophy campaign begins on February 20. Before that they will play a three-match ODI series against England. This series will be a chance for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to get into form before the big event. The competition starts on February 19 and ends on March 9. India won it in 2002 (shared with Sri Lanka) and 2013. They lost in the final in 2000 and 2017.

With the BCCI looking to the future, a report in TheTimes of India claimed that the BCCI have told Rohit to take a call on his future after the ICC event. The same report said that Kohli was not under the scanner yet.

© X/BCCI

"The selectors and people in the board had this discussion with Rohit around the time of the last selection meeting. He has been told that he needs to decide how he wants to plan his future after the Champions Trophy. The team management has certain plans going into the next World Test Championship (WTC) cycle and the ODI World Cup. They want to ensure everyone is on the same page for a smoother transition," a BCCI source was quoted.

"As for Virat Kohli, the selectors are willing to wait a bit more on his Test form, while his ODI prowess is not seen as a major problem," the report said.

© X/BCCI

Both Rohit and Kohli have had a horrible 2024. Rohit did lead India to a T20 World Cup but got whitewashed at home in a Test series by New Zealand. India also lost a Test series to Australia after 10 years and while Kohli did get a 100, it proved to be a false dawn. The England series and the Champions Trophy is their shot at redemption.

India’s next Test assignment is in June when they go to England. It remains to be seen if Rohit will be on the plane. For the moment, it seems Kohli shall be going. Both of them are in the twilight of their careers. Rohit turns 38 this year while Kohli will be 37. How long will they continue? Only time will tell.