'You're not irreplaceable': Steve Waugh sends strong message to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli

NEW DELHI: Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli silenced their critics who had questioned their ODI futures with impressive performances in the recently concluded ODI series against Australia Down Under.

Rohit was named Player of the Series for scoring a century and a fifty, while Kohli roared back to form with an unbeaten half-century after enduring back-to-back ducks earlier in the series.

Former Australian captain Steve Waugh has reignited the debate over the future of India's star players, stressing that the game is bigger than any individual.

Rohit Sharma begins preparation for India’s South Africa ODIs at BKC nets

"The players have to take some responsibility and realise that the game is bigger than the individual. You can't put yourself above the game. You've got to realise that the game moves on and someone else will take your place. You're not irreplaceable. So I think the players can't dictate the game. At the end of the day, the chairman of selectors has got to make a call for the better," Waugh told senior journalist Vimal Kumar on his YouTube channel.

Waugh also offered advice to India's chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, suggesting that he maintain some distance from the players to be able to make tough decisions effectively.

"You've got to be open and honest with the players as chairman of selectors. You need to have input. I don't think you can afford to be too close to the players. You got to have some distance because sometimes you have got to make a tough call. Every chairman is different in the way they go about it," he added.

"I hope Ajit Agarkar has a good relationship with the players, but he's got to have some distance as well. Communication with experienced players is very important - Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma - what are you thinking? At the end of the day, the chairman of selectors has got to make a call."

Kohli and Rohit, two of cricket's most high-profile stars, are targeting a spot in the 2027 World Cup. However, by the time the tournament begins, both players will be either over 40 or nearing that - an age considered unusual in today's physically demanding cricket landscape.