Legendary India spinner Anil Kumble has spoken about the future of veteran batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma and stated that the duo have done so much for the Indian team over the years, and with no guarantee of their presence in India’s 2027 ODI World Cup squad, it is better to celebrate them and their contributions.

Rohit Sharma, 38, was recently replaced by the BCCI selection panel, with Shubman Gill taking over as India ODI and Test captain. Virat Kohli, 36, meanwhile, has shifted base to London and has stayed out of the public limelight since winning the IPL 2025 with the RCB franchise.

Both Rohit and Kohli have retired from T20Is and Tests and were recently named in India’s squad for the three ODIs in Australia.

India will play nine One-Day Internationals (ODIs) before the T20 World Cup next year and another eighteen before 2027.

Kumble emphasized that the ultimate decision will be made at the right moment, even if it appears unclear whether Kohli and Rohit will be included in India's African tour in two years.

“Let us just celebrate the two players on the field. They have done so much for Indian cricket over the years. You don’t know if… yes, in their heads, they have been thinking of 2027 [World Cup], but it is still a couple of years from now.

There are matches; all you need to do is go out there and enjoy, and now that Rohit is no longer the captain, even the burden and responsibility of captaining isn’t on him. So, it is just about batting and enjoying every moment that they have on the field. I don’t think they need to think too far ahead in terms of 2027," Kumble said while speaking on JioHotstar.

Kohli and Rohit will be in the spotlight as they play for India for the first time since the ICC Champions Trophy win in March, and will face the challenge of gaining their rhythm before the Australia series.