Rohit Sharma’s place in the squad ahead of the 2027 World Cup remains a matter of much speculation. The selectors’ decision to keep Yashasvi Jaiswal out of the XV for the ODI series in England has only added to the intrigue.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar thinks the forthcoming three-match series will be a “good platform” for Rohit to remind the team management of his value.

“Tell me when has there not been a lot of talk about Rohit Sharma? It is always been like this. But look, he knows where he stands,” Gavaskar told The Telegraph during an interaction on Monday morning.

“I think there obviously has been a clear sort of information from those who matter... So Rohit knows exactly where he stands and all that he needs to do over the next year and a half leading up to the World Cup and that is to consistently deliver.

“And I don’t think he’s the kind of person who feels any pressure. I don’t think he’s ever felt the pressure with the talent and the ability that he has. So England is a very good platform for him to show that even a year and a half down the road, he’ll be there opening the batting for India,” the legendary opener said.

Rohit will turn 40 next year while Virat Kohli will be 38. But Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are still weaving magic at 39 and 41, respectively, in the ongoing Fifa World Cup. So is the scrutiny unjustified on these two senior players?

“Look, they have been outstanding players over the last 17-18 years and clearly the scrutiny has been on them... When you are a young player making your debut, the scrutiny is on you... how you handle international pressure... whether you have the temperament and the taste for international cricket. So the scrutiny starts from there and it hardly ever ends as far as Indian cricket is concerned,” Gavaskar said.

“And so the scrutiny being on them is not going to be something new. They know how to handle that, they know how to handle the pressure and they know that the only way is to keep on scoring runs, keep on taking the catches that come their way, affect the run outs... And at the same time be at hand for the captain to give their advice because of their experience... so they know that it is going to be on them.

“Just like when you are making a debut at about 18, 19, 20 or 15, the scrutiny is on you. Even as you age 37, 38, the scrutiny is on you. The scrutiny is different in as much as in when you start. The scrutiny is about not only your skill set, but about your temperament.

“But as you age and as you go post 35, the scrutiny is more on your physical fitness rather than your temperament, because by now everybody knows that you have the temperament to handle the pressure at the international level. So the scrutiny is more about the physical conditioning... So the scrutiny will be there on both these champions. And with the experience that they have, they’ll be able to take care of that quite easily.”

Gavaskar also spoke about being “a little patient” with Shreyas Iyer’s leadership following the series loss to Ireland since he has “proven” himself in the T20 format over the years. “Let’s be a little patient and see how it goes in the next five games in England,” he said. The opening T20I is on Wednesday.

India vs England limited overs series, live on Sony Sports Network and Sony Max