Both Kohli and Rohit have expressed their desire to play the quadrennial event.
Legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev believes that the Ajit Agarkar-led national selection committee must hold the final, overriding authority over whether Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma feature in India's 2027 ODI World Cup plans, regardless of the opinions held by head coach Gautam Gambhir or captain Shubman Gill.
Both Kohli and Rohit have expressed their desire to play the quadrennial event in South Africa, where they will be 39 and 40 years old, respectively. Having retired from T20Is and Tests, they have become single format player for India.
Rumors are rife that the Gambhir-led management might not want the ageing stars to play at the World Cup.
“Look, management isn’t the main thing. The selectors—there are five selectors—if their thought process is right, that’s what matters. First, there are five selectors. Then you go to the captain to ask, and then you go to the manager to understand their thought process. But first, if the five selectors have decided that he is good enough, then you don’t need to go to the captain or the manager. And if the selectors are doing their job properly, then it’s fine," Kapil told India Today.
While Kohli doesn’t have a straightforward backup, there are reports claiming that the Indian team management is considering a left-and-right-handed opening combination for ODIs. This strategic shift could potentially see team management move away from opening with Rohit to accommodate younger prospects.
Kapil refrained from commenting on whether he would like Kohli and Rohit to play the showpiece tournament, but explained why their age makes their road ahead tricky.
“I don’t know what the selectors’ thought process is. Sometimes people say, yaar, how can a 25-year-old retire? But they do. And if you’re fit, if you have the ability, if you can play at 39 or 40—why not? If your performance is there, then don’t count age. The problem with age is—if you hit a bad patch, the public and everyone will say, his time is up. But if the same bad patch happens to a 20-year-old, people say, no problem, time will come, he’ll come back,” he remarked.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be next in action during the three-match ODI series against England, starting July 14 at Edgbaston.