The former lower-order batter of the Indian side, Mohammed Kaif, has raised his concern about the form and preparation of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli ahead of the recently started three-match ODI series against Australia down under. The duo returned to competitive cricket six months after the end of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. 

Both batters’ last game for the Blue Brigade came in the first week of March this year during the final of the Champions Trophy 2025 against New Zealand at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Kaif felt that Virat Kohli should have traveled with the team as he did.

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“Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma had the opportunity. But maybe they thought they would go together with the team, as people are behind them anyway. There might have been pressure, like ‘Virat should travel with the team’; he has shifted to England, so that pressure was there. It would have been another problem if he had not traveled with the team. So he got caught in this.” Kaif expressed on his YouTube video.

Mohammed Kaif voices over Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s preparation ahead of AUS vs IND ODIs

Rohit got caught in the slip region after being found on the outside edge against the bowling of Josh Hazlewood for eight runs. On the other hand, Kohli returned to the hut after his eight-ball stay in the middle for a duck as his mistimed drive caught into the hands of the backward point.

These two had an opportunity to go there eight to ten days earlier. No matter how big a batter you are, this is a game of rhythm. A team like Australia will not spare you if you are not in rhythm. I feel it would have been better if they had arrived earlier.” Kaif addressed.

“Rohit pulls the short ball. He pulls the ball that he got out to. But because he did not have enough game practice, and it seemed that Hazlewood was in good rhythm, he had to be prepared. If he is in form, he hits that ball for a six. But maybe here he thought to take some time and get used to the pitch. He seemed to be in two minds.” The renowned commentator concluded.

Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif recently shared his thoughts on Virat Kohli’s future in the Indian Premier League amid growing speculation. Reports have suggested that the 36-year-old has yet to sign a commercial deal with the franchise.

Kaif believes that Kohli could be taking a cautious approach, possibly waiting to see what direction the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) take under their new ownership. According to him, Kohli’s decision might depend on how the new management plans to steer the team forward.

The former cricketer also mentioned that Kohli has been an integral part of RCB since the beginning, and any change in ownership or leadership could influence his long-term plans with the franchise. Fans are now eagerly waiting for clarity on Kohli’s next move.

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Mohammad Kaif Comments on Virat Kohli’s IPL Future:

As per reports, Diageo Plc — the British company managing Royal Challengers Bengaluru through United Spirits — is reportedly planning to sell part or all of its stake in the franchise. Bloomberg suggested that the move is aimed at streamlining its global business operations. Addressing the ongoing speculation in an Instagram video, Mohammad Kaif expressed confidence that Virat Kohli will never part ways with RCB. 

He reminded fans of Kohli’s long-standing commitment to the team and his emotional connection with the franchise, emphasizing that the star batter has often stated his intention to represent RCB until the very end of his IPL career.

He said, “ Is Virat Kohli retiring from IPL? No guys, Virat Kohli had promised that he will play his first and last match for Bengaluru only. He has promised this and since he has done it, he will not back out. But people are saying he hasn’t signed a commercial deal. There are two deals, players’ contract and commercial contract.”

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Mohammad Kaif (@mohammadkaif87)

He further said, “ The reason he has not signed a commercial contract is because a new owner might come for RCB and they will control the franchise. That’s why he is waiting, if there’s a change, then there will be negotiation and all. These are all behind the scenes stuff and we don’t have a lot of information about these things. He is waiting for all that.”

Virat Kohli has represented Royal Challengers Bengaluru since the inaugural IPL season in 2008, achieving his first title this year with a six-run win over Punjab Kings. As captain, he also led RCB to the 2016 final, though they were defeated by Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Kaif Confident RCB will Thrive While Kohli Stays With Team:

Reflecting on Virat Kohli’s recent performances in both the IPL and international cricket, Mohammad Kaif expressed confidence that Royal Challengers Bengaluru will continue to achieve success as long as Kohli remains part of the team. In the same Instagram video, Kaif shared his optimistic view about the franchise’s future under Kohli’s presence.

He added, “ Virat Kohli has started playing only now. RCB has began winning trophies now. Kohli scored 650+ runs and made them win the trophy. He made runs in the Champions Trophy 2025, he was the Player of the Match in the T20 World Cup 2024 final and was the Player of the Tournament in the 2023 World Cup.”

He concluded, “ He has only started playing now. Now you have to wait for more. He is going nowhere. He will play only for RCB. He has promised it to the fans and he will not break it.”

Virat Kohli holds the record for the most runs in IPL history, amassing 8,661 runs across 267 matches. His consistency and dominance over the years have cemented his place as one of the league’s greatest batters, making him a key figure for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

The former Indian batter, Mohammad Kaif, felt that it would be hard for the BCCI selection committee to set a benchmark for Rohit Sharma’s selection post the three-match ODI series against Australia down under. He was recently removed from the 50-over leadership as Shubman Gill became the new captain.

Kaif reckoned that it would be hard to expect consistency from Rohit Sharma, something which is associated with Virat Kohli, who will also return to the national side for the first time since the Champions Trophy 2025 final. They both have retired from the shortest and longest formats of the game and have one aim to feature for the ODI World Cup 2027 in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.

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“People are saying that Virat Kohli will be assessed, but I think that is something which will apply to Rohit Sharma. Rohit is not captaining, and the way he has been playing over the years, scoring 20 to 30, but when a big match comes, he scores 80, a match-winning knock, that’s how his career has gone. He never scores consistently.” Mohammed Kaif expressed in a video on his YouTube channel.

Mohammed Kaif urges BCCI to set different benchmark for Rohit Sharma’s ODI selection

Kaif observes that in the 50-over format, Rohit always looks to provide the national side aggressive starts inside the powerplay, and that doesn’t help him in getting a strong average. The Mumbai batter smashed 76 against New Zealand in the final and walked away with the Player of the Match award in Dubai.

The difference between him and Kohli in their numbers is that Kohli brings consistency, while Rohit brings match-winning innings and knocks. It will be difficult for the selectors. What if Rohit fails in the Australia series? People will say he is out of form, but if you look at his career, he often fails in two or three innings and then comes back strong.” Kaif remarked.

“In the World Cup, you will need experienced players. If they’ve decided that they’re not being treated right, and they’re close to retirement, that’s their personal choice. But if both of them play in the World Cup, India’s pride will rise, and match-winning innings will definitely come from their bats.” Mohammed Kaif addressed.

Social media has been a war zone in the last few days as the former players have received heated replies from the current players in debates. The rapid-fire situation of social media has blurred the line between speculation and the wrong analysis of the players during any tournament, as in this case, it has happened in the Asia Cup 2025. 

Very rarely, the players come back to reply. And the rare moment took place when the current premier pacer of world cricket, Jasprit Bumrah, had a go at Mohammed Kaif for suggesting that the pacer has been strategically managed to avoid injury for bowling spells at the team’s expense.

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“Inaccurate before, inaccurate again.”- Bumrah delivered the six-word response on the tweet of Kaif, as the ace pacer wasted no time in responding to the claims that the former batter of the Pakistan side made in a statement on X (formerly known as Twitter). The Ahmedabad-born is anyway coming back from an injury that he picked during the five-match Test series against England in the United Kingdom.

Jasprit Bumrah teaches Mohammed Kaif in heated reply on public platform

In this tournament, Bumrah has been off-color. Apart from the two games against the UAE and the recent Super 4 clash against Bangladesh, where he ended with 2/18 in four overs, he looked ordinary with his line and length, and hasn’t got enough purchase off the surface. Kaif sparked the controversy by comparing Bumrah’s usage under different leaders.

Inaccurate before inaccurate again 👍🏾 https://t.co/knkjXOGOKb

— Jasprit Bumrah (@Jaspritbumrah93) September 25, 2025

“Bumrah under Rohit would generally bowl overs 1, 13, 17, 19. Under Surya, in the Asia Cup, he bowled a three-over spell at the start. To avoid injury, Bumrah these days prefers to bowl while his body is warmed up. 1 over of Bumrah in the remaining 14 overs is a huge relief for batters. Against stronger teams at the World Cup, this could hurt India.” Kaif expressed in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter).

India’s management could think of resting Bumrah for the Sri Lanka clash, which will be a dead-rubber on September 26. Two days later, the final of the tournament will take place on September 28 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Mohammad Kaif, a former batter from India, has raised concerns over Jasprit Bumrah’s performance in the Asia Cup 2025, particularly in the Super 4 match against Pakistan on Sunday, September 21, in Dubai. While India won convincingly by six wickets, Kaif feels Bumrah looked “off color” and was unable to pull off his uu8sual strengths.

In the first innings, Pakistan batted first and finished with 171/5. Bumrah did not take a wicket and ended with figures of 45 runs in his four overs. India made a chase of the target look easy, mainly due to the efforts of Abhishek Sharma, who scored 74 runs off 39 balls to win the match with seven balls remaining. However, the main focus was on Bumrah’s unusual spell.

Bumrah not at his best in Asia Cup 2025

“It was mentioned on my YouTube channel on Tuesday, 23 September, that Bumrah bowled a few full tosses and did not stick to his yorker style, allowing batters to capitalize. Jasprit Bumrah was a little off color. Whenever he attempted a yorker, many of the deliveries became full tosses. I have hardly ever seen Bumrah bowl so many full tosses, many went waist high and hit for boundaries”.

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The 44-year-old criticized India’s bowling method, noting how Bumrah, under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, was rarely used in the powerplay. “He would bowl the first over, then the 13th, the 17th, the 19th. In the IPL too, Rohit used him like that. Now, I'm seeing him bowl three overs in a row in the power play. This may relate to his history of injury,” Kaif said. 

To this point, Bumrah has featured in three matches during the tournament and has taken just three wickets at an average of 30.66 and an economy of 8.36. Kaif is of the opinion that, following these performances, Bumrah is not effective right now. “Bumrah was known for pace, control, and straight yorkers, and right now he seems off. His yorkers are just full tosses. I hope he gets back to his form and comes back soon, and there's no question he is still a great bowler,” he said. 

India's pace spearhead will be back in action on Wednesday, September 24, when the team will play against Bangladesh in their second Super 4 match in Dubai.

As India gears up for the Asia Cup 2025, there is one selection issue that stands out above all others, and that is the No. 3 batter in T20I cricket. Since we can expect Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma to open the batting in the event, that leaves the middle-order anchor to either seasoned sanju Samson, or up-and-comer Tilak Varma. Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has stated this month that he feels strongly about the selection of sanju Samson, because he knows tournament cricket is about experience. Kaif feels Samson should be prepped in the No. 3 position, with the T20 World Cup coming up in six months.

Kaif notes that Samson can take on all world-class spinners, such as Rashid Khan of Afghanistan, in the middle overs of matches where outcomes are often decided. He is the combination of a good stroke-maker, and someone who builds innings well, and his fearless attacking style amplifies this quality. History in the IPL will also make a good case for Samson. He has almost always been in the best six-hitters in the IPL, and routinely takes the batting in an innings to a different level while making bowlers ineffective when he is accelerating. he can slow things down if needed to consolidate for the rest of the innings when you have lost early wickets, or he often can make benefit of good work done by the openers.

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In making a strong case for Samson as a fixed role at No. 3, Kaif believes that role could bring vital stability and rhythm to India's batting order ahead of the World Cup. Tilak Varma adds youthful exuberance and fearless intent to the conversation. The 22-year-old left-hand batter has entered into international cricket with an incredible impact, scoring 400-plus runs in T20Is with an average of over 80 and with multiple match-winning deliveries in his performances. Tilak has already demonstrated that he can withstand pressure and assume responsibility, going in and producing calm knocks, even in the most difficult overseas conditions. He ticks all the boxes for a modern-day T20 batter with his power hitting and ability to rotate the strike. But Kaif could argue that Tilak has plenty of time and will bide his time while Samson leads that role in the immediate.

Stability or Flash? What India Needs at No. 3

The discussion really centers around whether India should choose stability at No. 3 or style. If India opts for Samson in the No. 3 position, he would be a reliable campaigner with experience who would be capable of soaking up pressure and navigating tricky parts of the innings. The ability to maintain temperament and experience in tight moments is something that could be of massive value for high stakes games. This would be especially true for tough opponents in Asia Cup and beyond. And then there is versatility: he could hold down an innings if wickets fell early on or show his attacking range if a platform had already been laid. 

Conversely, the other option at No. 3, Tilak Varma, represents the future of Indian T20 cricket. He has been incredible with the bat in recent weeks and his confidence at that age is reminiscent of some past greats who established themselves early in their careers. If you add him at No. 3 position you bring a freshness and fearlessness to India's middle order, and he is equally good against pace and spin. However, putting an inexperienced player at this important position for such a big tournament certainly poses large risks.

The management of India has a textbook conundrum: stick with the dependable experience of Samson or embrace boldness of youth and current form with Tilak. With the T20 World Cup on the agenda, whichever option they choose could determine India’s batting identity for the near future. Conversely, Samson provides certainty and proven leadership in the middle order, while Tilak epitomizes future promise and vitality. Regardless of the options the selectors go with, the ramifications of this decision will be instrumental in India’s success at Asia Cup in 2025.

The senior men's national selection committee has chosen the 15-member Indian squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. In the inclusion of Shubman Gill, Axar Patel has been removed from the vice-captaincy role. Former Indian cricketer has reacted to this decision, as he is disappointed with it.  

Indian Test captain Shubman Gill, who is also the vice-captain in the ODI side, has returned to the T20I format, as he has been selected for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, which the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will host between September 9 and 28. He last played a T20I match in July 2024, when India toured Sri Lanka. Before that tour, while India toured Zimbabwe, Gill led the Indian T20I side for all five matches. Now, for the Asia Cup 2025, Gill will play the deputy captain role of Suryakumar Yadav.  

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Axar did no wrong: Mohammad Kaif

Gill has replaced Axar Patel in the T20I vice-captaincy role, while the all-rounder will continue his playing role for the national team. Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif, the 2000 U19 World Cup-winning captain, feels that Axar didn't do any wrong that he lost his T20I vice-captain role, and he deserved a proper explanation about this. 

I hope Axar Patel was informed about his removal from vice-captaincy in advance and he didn't come to know about it from the press conference. Axar did no wrong so he deserves an explanation. @akshar2026

— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) August 19, 2025

India will face Pakistan in Group A of Asia Cup 2025

India will start the Asia Cup 2025 from Group A, where they will face Pakistan, UAE, and Oman. The top two teams of the group will advance to the Super Four of the tournament. Apart from the 15-member squad, the selection committee also chose five standby players for the tournament. 

India’s squad for Asia Cup: Surya Kumar Yadav (Captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh

Standby players: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, and Dhruv Jurel

The India squad for Asia Cup 2025 is yet to announce and the speculations are rife as to who should be included in the squad. Many cricket pundits are coming with their version of the squad and former India cricketer, Mohammad Kaif has also joined the bandwagon. Kaif was unveiled his predicted playing 11 for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025.

Kaif has stuck with the premier T20 opening pair, Sanju Samson ans Abhishek Sharma. They are followed by Tilak Verma, and Suryakumar Yadav. In the all-rounder’s slot he has gone with Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar. He has picked Kuldeep Yadav Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah as bowlers. He also provided the backups while speaking on his Youtube channel.

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“There is a tough fight for the backup opener spot between Gill and Jaiswal. I think, given the form he showed in England, Gill would be preferred. The backup keeper would be Jitesh Sharma, based on how he has performed for RCB. I think Mohammed Siraj should also be in the squad,” said Kaif.

Mohammad Kaif picks for Asia Cup 2025:

Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Verma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah.

Shubman Gill has passed his first assignment as Test captain with letter marks. As the newly assigned captain for the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy, he not only did wonders with the bat but also impressed cricket fraternities through his leadership qualities. After an all-square 5-match Test series against England, former India international Mohammad Kaif has started to believe in captain Shubman. Kaif opined that Gill will be the perfect man to guide the men in the Blue Brigade in the limited overs cricket also after Rohit Sharma, who is the current skipper of India's ODI setup.

As the leader of the test team, Gill got a relatively inexperienced side. In the way India managed to snatch victory from England's mouth at The Oval, it showed the character of the team. Kaif did not forget to mention that before the series, Gill was struggling to maintain his composure in batting. But as soon as the series kicked off, the batter took himself to the next level, welcoming the opportunity with both arms. 

"He was such a calm captain. He led with composure under pressure. He will get the ODI captaincy as well because we don't know how long Rohit Sharma will continue as captain. Gill is ready to take over. He scores in white-ball. He has performed well as captain here in tests and led from the front. When you go with a young team, you have to do both things—score with the bat and do well as captain. A brilliant tour for him overall," the cricketer-turned-commentator said on his YouTube channel. 

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Based on individual brilliance, Gill ended the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy as the highest run scorer with 754 runs in 10 innings at an average of 75.40, including a career-best 269 in the first innings of the second Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham.

"When he became captain, there were many questions as to why he was made captain, looking at his test record. A young captain reached England under a lot of pressure with a young team. He answered with his bat, and it came to a point where he was compared to breaking Sir Don Bradman's record. Such a strong comeback with the bat," Kaif added. 

Gautam Gambhir might have taken a breath of relief after the yorker from Mohammed Siraj uprooted the last wicket of England at Kennington Oval. The win in the final match to level the series 2-2 is not only important for the players but also equally important for Gautam Gambhir as the head coach of India.

If India was unable to win the 5th match of the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy, the scoreline could speak in support of England. Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif said that Gambhir was the man who was under more pressure than anyone. India went to play the 5-match Test series after losing to New Zealand at home 0-3 and against Australia 1-3 during the previous Border Gavaskar Trophy. Before the Oval match, England was leading the series by 2-1, and India was in the back seat. Kaif heaped praise on Gambhir for believing in his strategy under immense pressure.

"The most pressure on this tour was on him. As a coach, he was not as successful in tests. I feel people were waiting so that if India lost this test, the most criticism would be on him. People wait to make memes of him on social media and talk bad about him. Maybe this would have been his last as a coach in Tests if India had lost. There was that much pressure on him. But where it is due, we must praise him wholeheartedly," Mohammad Kaif said on his YouTube channel.

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Gambhir's stretegy proved on point 

Cricket experts and fans were skeptical about the team selection. There was criticism for not playing wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav to increase batting depth. 

"We all said that Kuldeep must play in Bumrah's absence, but Gambhir stuck to having batting depth. He wanted batting till number eight, and his decision proved right. The two tests we won—you look at Jadeja's and Sundar's roles there. As there was depth in batting, we could score runs, and then the series ended in a draw as we could win. It was a good decision. He was there with a young team. I can understand how much pressure was on him," Kaif added.