Will Rohit And Kohli Feature In The ODI World Cup 2027? Ganguly Makes MASSIVE Statement On Their Future

Indian batting stalwarts, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have recently stepped away from Test cricket ahead of the England tour, with the first match of the series underway at Headingley in Leeds.

Rohit was the first to announce his retirement from red-ball cricket after he was removed from the captaincy. A week later, on May 12, Kohli stunned the cricketing world by officially announcing his decision to call time on his illustrious Test career after playing 14 years and 123 matches. Virat Kohli's Test retirement announcement came after a month of speculations and rumours surrounding the future of senior players marked the end of an era.

Currently, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will feature in the ODI cricket as the duo has already retired from the T20Is after Team India's T20 World Cup triumph last year. The pair is likely to bow out of international cricket after featuring in the prestigious ODI World Cup.

Will Rohit and Kohli feature in the marquee event?

As Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli stepped away from Tests and T20Is within a span of a year, questions have intensified over their future in the shorter format of the game, especially with the 2027 ODI World Cup on the horizon.

Though the prestigious event, which will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, is two years away, Team India will play 27 ODI matches before the World Cup. The number of matches is likely to increase once the Future Tours Programme (FTP) is released by the Board of Control for Cricket in India. India's preparation for the ODI World Cup will begin with a series against Bangladesh, scheduled to take place in August.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will be 39 and 40 by the time the next ODI World Cup begins, which could make more challenging to maintain peak fitness and form The Indian batting stalwarts featured in the IPL this year, where Kohli was in brilliant form, contributing both with the bat and in the field and Rohit was used as an impact player by the Mumbai Indians.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have already expressed their desire to participate in the 2027 ODI World Cup after missing out on clinching the title at home in 2023, following their defeat to the six-time champions Australia in the final, viewing the next edition as their last shot at achieving another glory together in international cricket.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli won the Champions Trophy in 2013 and 2025, and the T20 World Cup in 2024 together. Rohit and Kohli won four titles each at ICC tournaments, making the Indian batting duo the most successful Indian cricketers in ICC tournaments in terms of title wins.

Sourav Ganguly sounds a warning

Speaking to Press Trust of India (PTI), Sourav Ganguly feels that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's road to the ODI World Cup is not as easy as it seems, given that they have to play all the ODI matches prior to the marquee event. According to former India captain, the duo will go away from the game just like they moved on from T20Is and Tests.

“It won't be easy. 15 games a year. I've got no advice. I think they know the game as much as I do. And they will take a call.” Ganguly said.

“But all of us must understand that just like everyone, the game will go away from them and they will go away from the game," he added.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's last appearance in the ODI format was in the final of the Champions Trophy, where Team India defeated New Zealand to clinch their second title of the tournament. The Indian batting stalwarts are likely to feature in the away ODI series against Bangladesh, starting on August 17.

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