former indian cricketer Munaf Patel has praised the approach of veteran batsmen Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for India amid ongoing discussions over their future. Despite stepping away from the Test and T20I formats, both players remain committed to representing the national team in ODIs.
The experienced pair also participated in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) last year to maintain match fitness ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup, which will be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Munaf suggested that representing India remains his top priority and said that both Kohli and Rohit may also consider withdrawing from the Indian Premier League (IPL) to focus solely on international cricket commitments.
Munaf told Times of India, “I have always seen Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma put the country first. The level of priority they show is at another level. They can leave the IPL if needed, but they will never leave the Indian team. That is something you will always see.”
Kohli is currently representing Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), while Rohit Sharma is playing for Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL 2026 season. Kohli recently led RCB to their fourth win against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Despite struggling with an ankle injury, Kohli looked in great form and entertained the home crowd with a score of 49.
Meanwhile, Rohit is also struggling with fitness concerns. He had to retire due to a hamstring problem during the match between MI and RCB. The 38-year-old's injury appears to be more serious and he is expected to miss the next two matches against Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Gujarat Titans (GT).
If we look at his ODI career, Kohli has played 311 matches, in which he has scored 14,797 runs at an excellent average of 58.71, which includes 54 centuries and 77 half-centuries. Rohit, on the other hand, has scored 11,577 runs in 282 ODIs at an average of 48.84, which includes 33 centuries and 61 fifties.
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