By Shaurya Dutt

New Delhi [India], October 18 (ANI): Former India leg-spinner Amit Mishra on Saturday stressed the importance of match fitness and regular game time for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as they prepare for the upcoming ODI World Cup in 2027.

While acknowledging their current fitness levels, Mishra said maintaining match awareness through domestic cricket will be crucial for the veteran duo.

The first ODI between India and Australia is scheduled for Sunday at Perth's Optus Stadium, marking the much-anticipated return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, popularly known as 'Ro-Ko', in the Indian jersey since the ICC Champions Trophy final earlier this year.

Speaking during Media Mantra MM Dialogues 2.0 in Gurugram on Friday, Mishra urged the senior duo to stay in rhythm by playing domestic games whenever possible.

'They have to be match fit. I know everyone does fitness these days. Everyone knows how important fitness is for Indian teams. They must be doing it. They are doing it, and it is visible. But match fitness is different. Match fitness and match awareness are the levels of playing the match. They have to play that. I am worried about their performance as they are senior players. I hope we get them in the World Cup. It is a long time, but they have to maintain their match fitness. If they get a chance to play in domestic cricket, it is good for them and for the Indian team as well,' Amit Mishra told ANI.

Right-hand batter Shubman Gill was appointed the ODI skipper of the Men in Blue as they prepare for the ODI series. This series will mark a crucial phase in Gill's captaincy journey as he looks to make an early impression as India's new ODI skipper while continuing his consistent run with the bat.

For Gill, the leadership duties have come thick and fast since May. After Rohit called it a day in Test format with a brief message, the 26-year-old was tasked to lead India for a gruelling five-match Test tour of England, which ended in a 2-2 draw. He walked the talk, piled up a record-shattering 754 runs at 75.40, with a career-best 269, as the series concluded level on 2-2.

Speaking on Gill's leadership, Mishra said, 'The best thing about him is that he is calm and leading from the front after the captaincy. Normally, a lot of people come under pressure and there is no performance, but he is handling it well. That is the best thing, and he is performing well. I think he is happy with the captaincy and is not under any pressure.'

'He is not harming his performance. That is the best thing about him. He communicates well with everyone and doesn't show much pressure on himself after the captaincy. He performed well, especially when he went to England, so that is very important. He is performing well in India as well. The most important thing is that when you are given a responsibility, you are shown your behaviour and how you are performing. He will get experience from other senior players, and he should learn from them. Before the World Cup, I think he should get the experience to be a captain in the World Cup,' the former cricketer added.

At home, Gill continued his fine form and led from the front, finishing as the third-highest run-scorer in the Test series against the West Indies with 192 runs, as India completed a 2-0 clean sweep.

Sharing his thoughts on India's performance, the 42-year-old said, 'I am very happy that India won both of their matches against the West Indies at home. Things have just started, and a lot of youngsters are getting a chance, so they should avail themselves of it. In the coming series, we do well at home, but the youngsters outside will have to perform well. The biggest thing is that a lot of youngsters have joined the team. There is an opportunity, and the Indian team is in the process of rebuilding, so the team should be formed as soon as possible. Before the World Cup, there should be a focus on which players we should focus on. A team should be formed as soon as possible.'

In the West Indies Test series, wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav was the highest wicket-taker in the series with 12 wickets in the four innings at an average of 19.50 with the best bowling figures of 5/82.

Expressing his feelings on Kuldeep's performance, Mishra said, 'He performed really well in the series as well as in the recently concluded Asia Cup. I think he should show more maturity in his bowling. He should also keep in mind that the test match is different. The thought is different. One day is different. T20 is different. As a professional cricketer, he has to understand. It is better for him if he grabs the mentality as soon as possible. He will get more chances in the coming season and will have to do better in his bowling.' (ANI)