Pretty soon, the Indian selectors will have to take a call on the future of two of the greatest players to have put bat to white ball. Both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma appear keen to play in the World Cup in October-November next year. India play at least 18 One-Day Internationals before that, possibly more.

On paper, the selectors’ task is straightforward: keep tabs on form and fitness, the only two metrics that matter, although Kohli turns 39 during the World Cup and Rohit will be 40 earlier.

But its seldom so simple in India. For one, should the two greats be hyphenated? Is it a Kohli-Rohit issue, or will dropping one make it easier to justify the other’s selection? Is this cricket’s version of the Prisoner’s Dilemma, where if one person withdraws, the other goes through?

Have the players been told in advance what the selectorial thinking is so they know what to expect and there will be no embarrassment? Can a ‘cricketing’ decision, which is what it will be touted as either way, be independent of the sentiment and romance attached to it?

Chairman Ajit Agarkar and his team have shown a streak of ruthlessness Indian cricket is unfamiliar with, ditching the captain who won the T20 World Cup. Suryakumar Yadav was desperately short of runs, and India’s pool in T20 cricket is so vast and so deep that it was a justified call. Fan response was muted, although that will not be the case with Kohli and Rohit. The selectors’ message, though, is simple: runs matter.

Crucial series

The three-match ODI series in England next month will be crucial. Both as an opportunity for self-assessment for the two veterans, and to give the selectors some clues. Kohli, who missed the Afghanistan series with a hamstring injury, was replaced by Yashasvi Jaiswal, who made a century in the last match. But Jaiswal is not in the team for England (unless Kohli misses out again and he takes the older man’s place). Younger players in form shouldn’t be kept waiting for too long; it’s easy to sympathise with Jaiswal. But such are India’s riches.

Selectors have the job of balancing the past with the future while focusing on the present. Youngsters have to be given a chance to succeed, while veterans need the chance to fail, as this column has often argued. In other words, youngsters require the freedom and backing to build confidence without fear of being dropped immediately. Veterans possess an equity that entitles them to a bad run without being instantly discarded.

Skipper Shubman Gill has not looked uncomfortable with former captains playing under him. This was not always the case with India where former captains often acted like they had power but no responsibility. Gill’s inputs will be important too as he settles in for a long career as batter and captain, possibly in all three formats.

Rohit Sharma missed the 2011 World Cup which India won. The chairman of selectors then, Krishnamachari Srikkanth apologised for this a decade later. He said in a podcast, “I still feel bad for him. We just wanted more all-round options.” Rohit has come through a lot since then, including, as captain, the agony of losing the last final at home to Australia.

Kohli was a key member of that 2011 squad, starting with a century and finishing with an important partnership in the final with Gautam Gambhir.

Present matters

Not that any of that should matter to the selectors. It wouldn’t do to choose players based purely on past record or to compensate for past wrongs. The present should be all that matters here. Playing in South Africa (and Zimbabwe) means the experience of the stalwarts is important.

As things stand, Kohli probably has the better chance of making the team a year from now. His fitness has been an example to colleagues, and so too his motivation and fierce competitive spirit. Rohit might appear more laid-back but he is equally motivated and competitive. In the end, it will have to be form and fitness alone that matter.

Between now and the final selection, Kohli and Rohit will figure prominently in all discussions, an important adjunct to the main story of India’s preparation.