Former England spinner Graeme Swann Believes in growing debate around. Rohit Sharma And Virat KohliThe future is an inevitable part of the elite game, especially as a new generation of talent begins to make headlines.Although India still have two ODIs left in the ongoing series against Afghanistan, attention is already turning to the challenges ahead, including the upcoming three-match ODI tour of England in July and preparations for next year’s ODI World Cup.Speaking to PTI, Swann said that speculations about successors are faced by every great player, irrespective of the current form.“Absolutely. I think it’s inevitable with any player when you get into the latter part of your career, the second half of your career if you will, that people naturally start looking for a successor, no matter how well you do,” Swann said.“And even if you’re at the top of your game, they’re still like, who’s going to be the next Virat? Who’s going to be the next Rohit when he’s gone? It’s very natural.“And the second you have one or two low scores, everybody starts looking over your shoulder and seeing who’s next in line.“And obviously, with Suryavanshi coming in and some of the youngsters, it puts even more burden on the guys, especially at the top for India.”Swann believes that the next few weeks could be particularly important for Rohit Sharma as India continue to maintain a balance of seasoned campaigners with rising stars.“So I think it’s been a huge six weeks for Rohit. But like I said, in the IPL, he’s looked great and he’s still one of the best players, let’s face it.“So if I were an English bowler, I really don’t want to bowl against a Rohit Sharma who is desperate to prove a point and keep his place.”India’s ODI series in England is already attracting plenty of interest, and Swann expects Rohit and Kohli to remain in the spotlight.“Yes, it’s going to be huge. Whenever England play India, it’s a huge series, especially recently.“And with all the nonsense going on in England too, I think they would really appreciate the spotlight being put on real cricket rather than off-field stuff.”When asked which of India’s veteran stars will be under more scrutiny in the build-up to the series and the 2027 ODI World Cup, Swann highlighted Kohli’s impressive IPL campaign. The 37-year-old scored 675 runs in 16 matches during IPL 2026, cementing his status as one of the premier batsmen in the world.At the same time, Swann dismissed suggestions that the England series should be seen as a decisive audition for India’s senior stars ahead of the next World Cup.“From an English point of view, England will hope that Virat and Rohit will step back with the World Cup coming up and not think about it because it will affect the performance.“India have to make sure they don’t back down from it. But it’s Rohit and Virat. They know what they’re doing and they’re going to go out there.“It should be, touch the wood, dry and not overdo the ball at that point.“In England it is easier to bat against the white ball than the red ball. So it could be very good batting conditions for both of them, which is not very good for England.The conversation also turned to the player who many see as the future of Indian cricket. Fifteen-year-old Vibhu Suryavanshi is on the verge of an international debut after receiving a call-up for India’s T20I tour of Ireland and England following his phenomenal IPL season.Swann admitted he was impressed by the youngster’s rapid growth.“Yes, he is a special talent. Like I said earlier, I don’t want to bowl him.“He’s at an age where he’s completely fearless because he hasn’t failed.“But, you know, after making the first and big runs in the under-19s, going into the IPL and people saying, you know, when he made some starts and then you remember people throwing yorkers and saying, ‘Oh, we’ve got him.’“You can’t do that again and again against world-class bowlers.“But as the IPL went on he got better and better.“And those couple 90s in the playoffs, they were ridiculous.“I was there for one of them, the one in Chandigarh. It was the bravest knock by a 15-year-old kid.“He’s world class and I’m glad I’m not playing anymore.”
