"Seniors can't choose which bilaterals they play, which is fair" - Aakash Chopra on reported takeaways from Rohit Sharma and Co.'s meeting with BCCI

Former player Aakash Chopra has noted that one of the reported takeaways from captain Rohit Sharma and the Indian think tank's meeting with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials is that the senior players won't be able to pick and choose the bilateral series they will play. The former India batter termed it a 'fair' call.

India suffered a 1-3 defeat against Australia in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 and were knocked out of contention for a place in the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) final. Rohit, head coach Gautam Gambhir, and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar reportedly met the BCCI officials to review the team's performance against Australia and to chart out the road ahead.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener opined that the reported decision of not allowing seniors to decide which series they will play was correct.

"There was a meeting with Rohit Sharma and there have been reports about that. I don't know whether they are true or not. I just read them like you, and then react to them. My reaction is that one of the big takeaways was the seniors can't choose which bilaterals they play, which is fair in a sense," he said (6:45).

Chopra added that Yashasvi Jaiswal should have been picked for the upcoming T20I series against England, highlighting that batters don't need as much workload management.

"Workload management should be the selectors' job. Secondly, batters shouldn't need that much workload management. From that viewpoint only, I was saying Yashasvi Jaiswal should have played this T20 series. If you felt his workload had to be managed, you could have announced the team for three matches and then allowed Yashasvi to play the last two matches," he elaborated.

Aakash Chopra noted that another reported takeaway was about senior players needing to play domestic cricket. He pointed out that such a move is not only required for the seniors to regain their form but also to make domestic cricket stronger.

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"Rohit Sharma told the BCCI not to worry as he would continue as the captain for the next few months" - Aakash Chopra on the captaincy takeaway

Rohit Sharma (right) will likely captain India in the 2025 Champions Trophy. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that Rohit Sharma has reportedly expressed his wish to continue as India captain for the next few months and urged the BCCI to find a suitable successor.

"Another takeaway was that Rohit Sharma told the BCCI not to worry as he would continue as the captain for the next few months and asked them to create a roadmap for the future, that they can make Bumrah if they want but question marks remain over his fitness," he said (9:45).

The cricketer-turned-commentator acknowledged that Rohit should be India's captain in the 2025 Champions Trophy.

"Take it with a slight pinch of salt as these are not BCCI communications but source-based news. Don't expect any change till the Champions Trophy and it shouldn't be as well. Rohit Sharma will be our captain there and will play as an opener," Chopra observed.

However, Chopra added that the Champions Trophy performance could decide the future of some players.

"However, after that, international cricket will only be played on June 20. That's a long period of time. I feel the Champions Trophy performance will decide some futures. The BGT has done it almost and the last straw is the Champions Trophy," he elaborated.

Aakash Chopra opined that Indian cricket might see radical changes if things go wrong in the 2025 Champions Trophy. He added that the BCCI and selectors could opt for separate captains in all three formats, with Jasprit Bumrah potentially leading the Test side.