“You've got young players coming through” - Ex-England cricketer warns Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma

Former England spinner and commentator Monty Panesar has opened up on the Indian talismanic batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s comeback to international cricket for the three-match ODI series against Australia Down Under.

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Notably, Kohli and Rohit made their comeback to the international arena for the first time since the conclusion of the ICC Champions Trophy in March 2025. However, their comeback ended on a sour note as Kohli bagged two consecutive ducks while Rohit managed only eight runs in the Perth ODI.

Panesar, while speaking to IANS, asserted that the veteran batting duo needs to step up, and their future in the 50-over format depends on how well they fare in the Adelaide and Sydney ODIs. He also reckoned that young batters are in the queue to take up their positions.

"Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma didn't perform so well, and this is a big series for both of them. They need to perform; they need to do really well. But if they are not able to sustain those performances, you know. Adelaide is going to be a big one for them; they have got to perform well in both these games because you've got young players coming through. And they've done their bit. They've won the World Cups, and it's a big series for both of these players for their future in white ball cricket for India," Panesar said as quoted by NDTV.

For the unversed, India suffered a seven-wicket defeat in the first ODI against Australia in Perth. Batting first, they managed to post a mediocre 136/9 in a rain-curtailed 26-over game, after losing the toss.

However, in response, Australia lost only three wickets to chase down the target, finishing off the game in 21.1 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

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