Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will return to action on Sunday with the three-match ODI series against the West Indies. The duo last played for India in the UK, but the series saw the Men in Blue go down. The two senior statesmen have already linked up with the squad in Thiruvananthapuram, and the preparations for the series opener are in full flow. Ahead of the first ODI, RoKo were seen interacting with a specially-abled kid, and the little one couldn’t stop smiling.
Virat, the former India captain, was the first to meet the kid and was seen interacting with his father. After a brief chat, he gave his autograph and returned to the training session. Then Rohit came out to have a brief conversation with the kid, and the Hitman even patted his back.
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The kid then asked Rohit, “Can I have your autograph?”, to which the former India captain replied, “Yes, sure.”
Both Rohit and Virat are the key players to watch out for in the series against the West Indies as the Men in Blue prepare for the 2027 ODI World Cup. The results in the 50-over format have been mixed ever since Gautam Gambhir took over as the head coach. India have already lost two ODI series to New Zealand and England this year, and the head coach would hope fortunes change.
What did the Indian coaches say?
Ahead of the first ODI, India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel heaped praise on skipper Shubman Gill, saying the skipper has been aided by the presence of both Rohit and Virat, and the duo have been exceptional in sharing their experience with Gill, who was appointed as the captain last year ahead of the away series against Australia.
“It is always great to have that experience back in the team. Just to guide Shubman as well, I must say Shubman has done an exceptional job so far leading the team. But I am always a big believer in your senior players and how they shape the team. I think different players in the team will feel more comfortable speaking to a certain senior individual and we are quite fortunate that we have got a lot of experience in that,” Morkel told reporters.
“We are quite fortunate that we have got that experience with the senior players and for us it is just to keep on challenging the guys to have the conversation with the senior guys. We always throw out as many questions as possible in team meetings for the senior guys to speak and to share their experience,” Morkel added.