Indian Cricket Board set to have discussions with Rohit Sharma about his plans for white-ball cricket: Reports

The Indian Cricket Board is set to engage in discussions with captain Rohit Sharma and chief selector Ajit Agarkar to outline the plan for the next four years across formats. India displayed dominance in the ODI World Cup, winning all 10 matches before the heartbreak in the final against Australia. According to reports from TOI, the primary focus of the discussions will revolve around Rohit's future in white-ball cricket and the nurturing of a future captain.

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At the age of 36, the captain delivered a spectacular performance in the 2023 World Cup, amassing 597 runs at an average of 54.27 and a striking rate of 125.94. As per reports, Rohit has already conveyed to the selectors his decision not to be considered for T20Is. His last appearance in T20Is for India was during their semi-final defeat to England at the T20 World Cup last year. However, uncertainties loom over Rohit's future in ODIs, especially considering he will be 40 by the time of the next World Cup in South Africa in 2027.

"Before the ODI World Cup, Rohit had communicated that he is fine not being considered for T20Is. The selectors have been investing heavily in youth in T20Is for the last one year. With the T20 World Cup happening in June next year, they are reluctant to deviate from that strategy. As of now, it seems Rohit will focusing a lot of his energy on the Test format for the next cycle of World Test Championship which runs until 2025. Grooming a captain for the longer formats is a key part of the agenda. With Hardik Pandya prone to injury, selectors may look for options in ODIs,” a source of the Indian Board said as quoted by TOI.

Ajinkya Rahane likely to be dropped from Test side: Reports

As per the sources from TOI are concerned, it tells that the selectors are not inclined to include experienced batsman Ajinkya Rahane in the Test series in South Africa scheduled for December. Rahane made a comeback to the Indian Test side after an absence of a year and a half during the WTC final against Australia. Despite noteworthy performances with scores of 89 and 46 in that match, Rahane struggled, accumulating only 11 runs in the two innings during the subsequent series in West Indies.

"The selection committee is very clear that it wants to groom players who will play together for a longer period of time. With Shreyas Iyer coming back into the Test reckoning and Shubman Gill batting at No.3, there is little scope for Rahane. KL Rahul too could be considered for the Test matches as he could be a backup wicket-keeping option," the source concluded.