Former India opener and BCCI chief selector Kris Srikkanth shared his views on whether Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the two senior Indian batters, can play in the 2027 World Cup.
The 2027 World Cup is to be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia and India remains one of the best teams in contention to win the tournament.
However, by the time the 2027 World Cup rolls in, Rohit Sharma will be 40 and Virat Kohli will be 39 and it remains to be seen if they will be in contention for selection at that time. At the moment, the two veterans are prepping for the three ODIs against Sri Lanka which begins on August 2nd.
India’s new head coach Gautam Gambhir has shared his thoughts on the same during his first press conference after taking over from Rahul Dravid. He said that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma still have a lot of cricket left to offer, and the duo can feature for India in the 2027 ODI World Cup if they manage to keep their fitness.
“They have shown what they can deliver on the big stage. Whether it is the T20 World Cup or the ODI World Cup, I think both of them have a lot more cricket left in them. We’ve got the Champions Trophy and a tour of Australia, so they will be motivated. If they keep their fitness, then even the 2027 World Cup,” Gambhir said in Mumbai before Team India’s departure to Sri Lanka for the upcoming white-ball series.
Gambhir's remark about the legendary batting duo's future in Team India quickly went viral, and in response, former India captain and chief selector Kris Srikkanth has now issued a statement stating that Kohli will undoubtedly play for India in the next 50-over megaevent, but Rohit cannot.
Rohit, according to him, is a good player, but he will be 40 in three years, and you cannot play in your forties. He believes Rohit would collapse if he plays in the upcoming World Cup, which will be held in South Africa.
“He (Rohit) is a good player, but his age is 37 presently, and the next ODI World Cup is three more years ahead. He will be 40 years old then. You can’t play the World Cup in the 40s. Yeah, Virat Kohli could play in the 2027 World Cup, in my opinion, for sure. But for Rohit, Mr. Gambhir, you went overboard; he will faint in South Africa,” he said during a discussion with his son Anirudha on his YouTube channel.
Rohit Sharma was the captain when India lost the final of the 2023 World Cup and he would like to avenge that loss if given a chance.
