There is growing discussion surrounding Indian veterans Virat Kohli's and Rohit Sharma's presence at the ODI World Cup 2027. And former World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev has shared his perspective on who should have the final say regarding the future of senior stars. There is still about a year to go for the mega event, but suspense continues to remain whether the experienced duo will be part of India's plans. Neither the BCCI selection committee nor the team management has given any satisfactory response. Meanwhile, Kapil Dev feels that decisions on team selection must be taken by the selectors rather than the coaching staff.
"Look, management isn't the main thing. There are five selectors. If their thought process is right, that's what matters," Kapil Dev said on Sports Tak.
"First, there are five selectors. Then you go to the captain to ask, and then you go to the manager to understand their thought process. But first, if the five selectors have decided that he is good enough, then you don't need to go to the captain or the manager. If the selectors are doing their job properly, then it's fine," he said.
By the ODI World Cup 2027, Kohli will be turning 39 while Rohit will be 40.
"I don't know what the selectors' thought process is. Sometimes people say, how can a 25-year-old retire? But they do. And if you're fit, if you have the ability, if you can play at 39 or 40, why not? If your performance is there, then don't count age."
"The problem with age is if you hit a bad patch, the public and everyone will say, 'his time is up'. But if the same bad patch happens to a 20-year-old, people say, 'No problem, time will come, he'll come back'," Kapil Dev added.