The BCCI selectors and the team management have remained non-committal on Rohit and Kohli's ODI futures.
Indian batting stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s participation in the 2027 World Cup remains uncertain, despite being key in ODI cricket.
Rohit and Kohli called time on their Test careers last year. Having retired from T20Is in 2024, the seasoned campaigners are now exclusively focusing on the 50-over format.
By the time the marquee quadrennial event begins in 2027, Rohit will be 40 and Virat Kohli will turn 39. Hence, managing workload with fewer scheduled ODIs makes domestic appearances (such as the Vijay Hazare Trophy) a crucial metric for evaluating their fitness and match readiness.
Furthermore, chief selector Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir have not given a firm commitment, keeping the decision on their participation for the World Cup coy.
Amid the speculation and debate, former India opener Ashish Nehra has opined that trying to predict the ageing pair’s presence at the World Cup more than a year in advance is premature.
Nehra, who was part of India’s 2011 World Cup-winning squad, went on to highlight how quickly circumstances can change in international cricket.
“We all know what Rohit and Virat have achieved over the last decade. But for me, 13 months is a long time. It is very difficult to say right now whether Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli will be there. Forget those two. Age is just a number,” Nehra said while speaking during the Cricket Association of Bengal’s annual awards ceremony in Kolkata, as quoted by RevSportz.
Nehra pointed out Shubman Gill’s snub from the T20I setup to make his point. “We talk about Shubman Gill and Jasprit Bumrah, but even Shubman is not in the T20 squad. The way the sport is going, it is fast-paced and more formats are coming. So, it is difficult to say. It is simply too early,” he added.
Both Kohli and Rohit remain the two highest active run-scorers in ODI cricket. Nehra believes there is no reason to exclude them as long as they continue to score runs, but he also emphasized that any final decision does not rest with the coach alone as the BCCI selection committee and other key decision-makers ultimately drive the selection process.
“If they are doing well and performing, why not? But again, if you were the coach, or if I were the coach, it would not be my decision alone. That doesn’t work with the BCCI. There are selectors and other decision-makers involved, so there are many people involved in the decision-making process,” Nehra said.
Nehra also stressed that even if he was associated with the Indian team, it would be unrealistic to predict a World Cup squad this far out.
“First of all, I am not coaching India. Secondly, it is too far away. When it comes to international cricket, the World Cup is still around 13 months away. We have seen, not just in Indian cricket but in every sport, how much things can change even in two or three weeks,” he remarked.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will next be in action during the three-match ODI series against the West Indies at home from September 27 to October 3.