‘As a single-format player, flow does get disrupted’: Dhawan’s honest take on Rohit, Kohli

ex indian opener Shikhar Dhawan Believe that reduction in frequency of ODI cricket matches will not cause trouble Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli They point to their experience and professionalism as key factors as they prepare for the 2027 World Cup.Dhawan, who has been a one-format player in the second half of his career, admits that limited opportunities to play will affect the pace. In an interview to PTI, he reflected on the challenges of maintaining flow when opportunities stagger.“Yes, when you play a format internationally, your flow does get disrupted,” Dhawan said.He explained that during these phases, players often turn their attention to maintaining optimal fitness, especially when games are infrequent. However, he made it clear that the likes of Rohit and Kohli fully capable of meeting this challenge.“So the players are focused on fitness because you won’t be playing too many games. You’re talking about Rohit and Virat, they are mature guys. It’s a challenge but they know how to turn that challenge into an opportunity.“If you look at their fitness, Virat was always fit but Rohit has undergone a huge transformation,” he added.Dhawan also highlighted how the schedule ahead of the 2027 World Cup should work in their favour, ensuring both players have enough time to find their rhythm.“Now that the 2027 World Cup is coming, they will be playing a lot of ODIs. If you look at the time when I was a single-format player, there were back-to-back T20 World Cups (2021 and ’22), and the ODIs I played were few and far between. So tournaments will not be a problem for Rohit and Virat and there will be enough time to play.”Both Rohit and Kohli are in strong ODI form of late. Rohit, who led India to the 2025 Champions Trophy before being replaced Shubman Gill Captained in October and had a productive year. He scored 650 runs in 14 games at an average of 50, including 2 centuries and 4 fifties. However, his performance dipped in the recent series against New Zealand, with him scoring just 61 runs in three games at an average of 20.33.Kohli, on the other hand, performed brilliantly in the game. In 2025, he scored 651 runs in 13 games at an average of 65.10 with 3 centuries and 4 fifties. He continued this form into 2026 as well, scoring 240 runs at an average of 80 in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand in January.With their form and experience, the two veterans appear to be in a good position as India works towards its next global tournament.