'Now that he is no longer captain...': Anil Kumble hands Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli reality check before AUS ODIs

Anil Kumble gives advice to Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma ahead of Australia ODIs. (AFP Image)

After Ravi Shastri's comment on whether Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will play the 2027 ODI World Cup, former India coach Anil Kumble has given his take on the debate. The ICC 2027 World Cup is scheduled to be played in South Africa and Namibia. The legendary duo have already quit from T20Is and Test cricket, which means they now only remain active in ODIs.

With two years remaining for the tournament, Kohli and Rohit's participation will depend on a lot of factors.

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"Let's 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’s 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 is not on him. So, it's 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. Both these guys have the experience; ideally, you’d want them to be part of the line-up, but it's better played by the year," Kumble said on JioHotstar during the lunch interval on Day 4 of the 2nd Test between India and West Indies in Delhi.

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Kohli and Rohit are preparing at the moment for the upcoming ODI series against Australia. They last played an international game in the final of the Champions Trophy. On one hand, Kohli is in London living with his family but has been seen training at a facility at Lord's. Former India skipper Rohit Sharma, meanwhile, has caught a lot of attention after losing almost 8 kilos.

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However, Kumble believes that the duo should worry about the Australian bowling attack now rather than focusing on the 2027 World Cup.

"They just need to do what they need to in terms of preparing for an ODI six months down the line; that's going to be the challenge. They would want to play until the 2027 World Cup and win it – that's something that did not happen in 2023, with Australia holding the trophy. But like I said, these two players have been champions, and Australia will turn up in numbers to watch them play," he added.