Both the Indian stalwarts have called time on the shortest and longest formats of the game.
Indian mainstays Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli stepped down from two formats of the game in the recent past. Both Rohit and Kohli called time on their T20I careers at the same moment, which was after India’s T20 World Cup win last year. For players who have enjoyed an illustrious career, lifting the T20 World Cup after missing out on the chance in 2022 was a perfect moment to cap their careers off.
While their retirement from the shortest format of the game was well timed, fans were not hoping the duo to be absent from red-ball cricket anytime soon. But the duo had other plans. Rohit and Kohli stepped down from Test cricket as well, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was forced to think about the next Indian skipper for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
All said and done, the duo will be featuring in the 50-over format. And that is where the possibilities for the 2027 ODI World Cup are. With the mega-event still two years away, there are discussions about whether the two Indian stalwarts will make it to the World Cup. After narrowly missing out on the title in 2023 to Australia, they would love to have a crack at the campaign one last time.
A lot of factors will decide whether Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will be able to play the World Cup in 2027. As for now, the two Indian stalwarts will feature in the three-match ODI series in the month of October 2025. Their skill will be one of the last things for them to worry about. But with the Indian team transitioning into a new bunch of players, performance will be non-negotiable.
Former India player Deep Dasgupta recently voiced his opinions on how Rohit and Virat can go the distance to keep themselves in contention for the mega-event in 2027. Featuring in domestic tournaments like the Vijay Hazare Trophy will be helpful for both Rohit and Virat, in order to stay connected with the game. What is also an important factor to consider is the number of ODIs India will play before the World Cup in 2027.
The aim would then be to be a part of as many 50-over games as possible. Dasgupta also mentioned the importance of playing in tournaments in England and Australia. He stated that they will have to keep playing the format every now and then, even if it is not at the highest level. He also added that the management or the selectors do not have any right to ask the duo to stop playing.
“If they are hungry enough, they will find a way. We never told them to start, so we are nobody to tell them when to stop. They stop when they stop. It’s completely up to them”, said Dasgupta, in an interview with RevSportz.
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Right after Rohit Sharma’s Test retirement months ago, the very first question which popped up in the minds of selectors was about the leadership role. Shubman Gill was named as the skipper in the longest format for the tour to England. A topsy-turvy tour, which lasted for five Test matches, ended up in a draw.
With the captaincy in two formats sealed at the moment, the ODI format still poses an uncertainty. From being a team that has believed in the ‘one captain, all formats’ strategy, India might need to shift their focus towards a different approach. Currently, Rohit holds the leadership role in the 50-over format. But it will have to be seen whether he can continue that for another two years till the World Cup.
An underlying problem which the Blues are dealing with is that, the number of ODIs have reduced drastically. Due to the consistent demands of the other two formats, the team does not play a lot of games in the 50-over format. The Blues have not played a single ODI since the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Final against New Zealand.
To add to that, a country like India is never short of talent. In such a scenario, both Rohit and Virat will have to dig in and make sure that they stay in contention for a spot in the ODI World Cup. Moreover, they should find ways to stay in the groove, which will help them build performances.
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