Rohit's participation in the 2027 World Cup remains a mystery as of now.
Having retired from T20Is last year, the 38-year-old will now focus solely on the 50-over format. However, his participation in the 2027 ODI World Cup remains a mystery.
Meanwhile, former cricketer Ambati Rayudu has backed Rohit Sharma to lead the Indian team in the quadrennial event.
Sharma has won two ICC titles as skipper over the last 14 months, and under his leadership, India also finished as runners-up in the 2023 edition of the ODI World Cup and WTC final.
“You need Rohit Sharma to lead. Looking ahead, the goal is to win the World Cup. At the end of the day, we are all Indians. At that time, the only question is, who can win it for us? That is how you have to approach ICC tournaments. What happens two years later, who becomes what, nobody knows. Nothing is certain. The only thing that matters is, at that time, especially in ICC tournaments, who can win for India? Who can win for the country?”
“If Rohit Sharma, as captain, can win it for us, then Rohit should remain captain. If Rohit makes up his mind, maintains his fitness, and wants to play, then tell me one single person today who can replace him in ODI cricket. What he brings to the table is enormous. Rohit has to play,” Rayudu said on Shubhankar Mishra’s YouTube channel.
The 2027 edition of the ODI World Cup will be played across multiple venues in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe in October-November. A total of 14 teams will take part in the ICC showpiece.
During the 2023 ODI World Cup at home, Rohit amassed a total of 597 runs to finish as the second-highest run getter. His batting average in that mega event was 54.27, and he scored runs with a strike rate of 125.94.
In the 2019 ODI World Cup played on Englis soil, Rohit scored 648 runs with the help of five centuries and one fifty. However, the Men in Blue failed to qualify for the final under Virat Kohli’s captaincy.
Rohit Sharma also impressed everyone with his batting during the 2015 ODI World Cup in Australia, but India’s campaign came to an end in the semifinal itself.