'Have seen this in great teams' - Shardul Thakur's massive statement on Kohli and Rohit's impact in Indian dressing room after 1st ODI

Shardul Thakur opined that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's presence in the Indian dressing room makes a huge difference and bodes well for the youngsters in the side. In ODI and Tests, Thakur believes that having the right balance between youth and experience is crucial.

India finally tasted victory on their tour of the United Kingdom after remaining winless in seven T20Is. This win came in the first ODI, as the Men in Blue chased down a 259-run target in 45.2 overs, with six wickets to spare on Tuesday, July 14, at Edgbaston, Birmingham.

Rohit and Kohli got dismissed cheaply in the game, as they scored 11 and 5, respectively. However, Thakur said that their impact in the dressing room goes way beyond the volume of runs they score out in the middle.

"We heard Axar's [Patel] interview. He said that whenever seniors are around in the dressing room, the players get a different kind of confidence. When it comes to longer formats of the game, be it Tests or ODIs, it is important to have the right mix of seniors and juniors. We have seen this in all the great teams. For juniors to excel, it is important for them to get proper guidance from seniors," Thakur said during a discussion on Sony Sports.

"With Virat and Rohit in the dressing room, the youngsters are expected to lift their game. And, as they say, you cannot buy experience in the supermarket. You only get it by spending years on the field. The kind of experience the team gets from Rohit and Kohli and the value they bring in the dressing room is unmatched," the seam-bowling all-rounder went on to add.

ENG vs IND 2026: England vs India Highlights – 1st ODI

Shubman Gill led from the front in India's run-chase as he scored 80 off 75 balls before retiring hurt. Shreyas Iyer played an important innings of 35, forging a 101-run stand off 103 balls before unbeaten half-centuries from Axar Patel and Washington Sundar took India to victory.