The availability of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the upcoming ODI World Cup in 2027 remains uncertain. The recent appointment of Gautam Gambhir as the head coach of the Indian cricket team has fueled speculation about the futures of the veteran players. Both Kohli and Rohit announced their retirements from T20I cricket following the T20 World Cup final last month. Despite BCCI Secretary Jay Shah's assurance that Rohit will captain the team during the ICC Champions Trophy and the World Test Championship in 2025, their participation in the 2027 ODI World Cup is still questionable.
During a press conference, Gambhir stressed that Rohit and Kohli are still part of his plans and that they have much cricket left to play. Yet, former Indian captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth highlighted a previous statement by Gambhir, in which he indicated that senior players would be excluded from his team if they did not perform well in the T20 World Cup.
"Gautam Gambhir has changed his stance. Before the T20 World Cup 2024, he mentioned that if Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma did not deliver, they wouldn't be part of my team. Now, he claims there are no players like Kohli and Rohit," Srikkanth stated on his YouTube channel. "Since becoming head coach, he has suggested that both players have plenty of cricket ahead of them and is hopeful they will be fit for the 2027 World Cup."
When discussing their potential participation in the ODI World Cup, Srikkanth opined that although Kohli may have the fitness levels to compete, it would be challenging for Rohit, who will be 40 years old by the time of the tournament.
"He is a solid player, but he's currently 37, and the next ODI World Cup is three years away. He'll be 40 then. Unless you are exceptionally fit like MS Dhoni or Sachin Tendulkar, making a World Cup appearance in your 40s is quite difficult. I believe Virat Kohli can definitely play in the 2027 World Cup. However, for Rohit, Mr. Gambhir, you've gone too far; he might not endure playing in South Africa," Srikkanth added.
The 2027 ODI World Cup will take place in Africa, co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.