Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are arguably the best batters of the generation and hence there was a lot of debate around the time they announced their Test retirements just ahead of the England tour. While their retirements happened under suspicious circumstances – it was understood that both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are eyeing the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma – the two Indian stalwarts – have already bid adieu to Tests and T20Is with the hope that they can prolong their ODI careers. At this stage of their careers – Virat Kohli is 36 and Rohit, 38 – the 50-overs format is the best suited for them.
There have a lot of speculations regarding Rohit and Virat’s future with the Indian team and it is safe to say that there is no guarantee as to if they will be a part of the Men in Blue’s for the World Cup that will be contested two years later. Notably, Rohit Sharma will be 40 while Virat Kohli will be 39 by the time the competition begins. If the two want to feature in the tournament then they will have to regularly take part in the one-day matches that the national team will play.
Having endured the heartbreak of the 2023 ODI World Cup up close and personal, Virat Kohli and Rohit, who are yet to win the 50-overs World Cup together, are eager to chase the ultimate glory in the 2027 World Cup, which can cap off a perfect, story-book ending for the two superstar batters.
Until a couple of days ago, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli looked certain to maintain their place in the ODI setup. However, according to a report in Dainik Jagran, the murmurs about their future have already gained steam. It stated that the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia in October might be Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s swansongs in Indian cricket.
BCCI demand’s Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to play Vijay Hazare Trophy to prove their relevance in white ball format
Virat Kohli last played a Vijay Hazare Trophy match for Delhi in February 2010 against Services. In that match against Gurgaon, he scored 16 runs while batting at number 5. Rohit Sharma’s last VHT game was much more recent than Virat Kohli’s – in 2018, when he scored 24 in the semi-final against Hyderabad for Mumbai.
The BCCI’s VHT demand could stem from its reprioritisation of domestic cricket. Earlier this year, after India’s 1-3 defeat against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the BCCI made it mandatory for all centrally-contracted players to be available for their states for domestic cricket in order to be available for national selection.
The Jagran report stated that the BCCI is focused on grooming young talent for the upcoming marquee 50-over tournament, with preparations already in full swing. If Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli indeed turn up, it’ll be nothing new. In January 2025, both players represented their state teams in the Ranji Trophy, following a BCCI mandate. The 10-point directive urged all players to return to domestic red-ball cricket to regain form.
Now, the BCCI is reportedly considering asking Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. But is this expectation realistic? What value would their participation in the 50-over competition bring, and how much game time could they gain?. Ahead of this murmurs, Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina supports Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to play the prestigious 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa as a guiding light to the youngsters.
“Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli should play 50-overs World Cup in 2027” reckons Suresh Raina
Former India cricketer Suresh Raina has said that Rohit Sharma and ace batter Virat Kohli should play the 2027 ODI World Cup as they have been part of the title-winning team of the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy and have the experience necessary for a big tournament.
The future of Rohit and Kohli now hangs in the balance, with the duo having retired from T20Is and Tests and ODIs being the only format where they remain active.
There have been a lot of speculations about Rohit and Kohli’s future, with certain reports suggesting that they might be let go before the 2027 ODI World Cup.
“Rohit & Kohli should play the 2027 ODI World Cup because they have won the T20 WC and the Champions Trophy, both Rohit and Virat have so much experience. I feel they will be there in the 2027 World Cup; they should be there,” Raina said while speaking on Subhankar Mishra’s YouTube channel.
Apart from Kohli and Rohit Sharma, head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar will play key roles in shaping their future as well. Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s participation in all upcoming ODIs is crucial if they hope to feature in one more ICC tournament for India. Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s surprise Test retirements in May shocked the cricketing world, coming just as they were expected to tour England for the five-match series. Within five days, Rohit Sharma and Kohli announced their Test retirements.
Meanwhile, both Rohit Sharma and Virat are likely to feature in India’s upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia which is set to commence from October 19. Following the tour, the Men in Blue will also be taking on South Africa in a one-day assignment that will begin in November. Both of them have already started to prepare for theese two series as while Rohit was recently seen training with former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar, Virat participated in a long net session at Lord’s.
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