Bollywood actor Ameesha Patel publicly backed Indian cricket stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli amid growing speculation surrounding their futures in international cricket. Taking to X on July 17, Patel expressed disappointment over how the two senior players were being treated during the ongoing discussions about India's plans ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Her post quickly went viral and sparked widespread debate among cricket fans on social media. Patel wrote, “A tweet not related to Bollywood.. been a while I have been noticing this so felt like tweeting today. SIMPLY shocked at the way senior super stars like Virat Kohli and Rohit sharma are treated in this cricketing era or should I say CRUEL CRICKETING ERA .. it’s a SHAME ..”

The ‘Gaddar’ actress did not name any individual or cricket administrator in her post but made it clear that she believed the country's most experienced cricketers deserved greater respect for their contributions.

Her comments came at a time when reports claimed that Rohit Sharma could be nearing the end of his ODI career following the England series, while Virat Kohli had also been at the centre of discussions regarding his long-term future with the national team. Although there has been no official confirmation from the BCCI regarding the retirement rumours, Patel's message resonated with many supporters who praised both players for their achievements over the years.

Others, however, felt that team selection should be based on current performance rather than past accomplishments. Regardless of the differing opinions, Patel's tweet added another high-profile voice to the ongoing conversation surrounding two of India's greatest modern-day cricketers and their place in the team's future plans.

You might see a completely different innings: Sitanshu Kotak backs Rohit Sharma amidst retirement speculations

India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak firmly dismissed speculation that Rohit Sharma was under pressure amid growing retirement rumours, backing the veteran opener despite his disappointing start to the ODI series against England. Reports had suggested that the selectors were preparing to move on from Rohit after the series and that the third ODI at Lord's could be his final appearance for India. However, Kotak rejected those claims during the post-match press conference following India's defeat in Cardiff.

Defending the experienced batter, Kotak said, “See, I don't think a big player like Rohit Sharma can have any sort of pressure. He's too good a player to feel that. Yes, he didn't get runs in the opening two matches, but I don't think that makes any difference. But today, it also looked like he'd probably get a good inning out. But that's okay.” He also stressed that every batter experiences phases where momentum is difficult to build and insisted Rohit's struggles were not a sign of decline.

“See, honestly, I have played a lot of cricket, and I have seen a lot of cricket. On a day, there are a lot of batters I have seen, they don't get that momentum that they are looking for, and that can happen. You might see a completely different innings from Rohit Sharma at Lord's,” Kotak said. He further added, “So, I wouldn't say, because you could definitely see the completely different innings from a player like Rohit, and I think that I have seen that happening to a lot of batters. So, it's not just Rohit, who, I wouldn't use the word, he was struggling.”

Kotak's comments reflected the team management's continued faith in Rohit despite the retirement buzz, with all eyes now on the veteran opener ahead of the series-deciding ODI at Lord's.