Many believed it was a deliberate decision to extend their Test and ODI careers when Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma announced their retirements from T20Is together soon after India won the World T20 last year. When they both ended their Test careers a few months ago, within a span of five days, it was thought that they did so to make sure they were fit and prepared for the 2027 World Cup, the only limited-overs ICC competition they are yet to win together.
The path to the World Cup in South Africa in two years, though, appears to be more difficult than anticipated. It's possible that the Indian team's rapid transitions in Test matches will continue in the ODI fold too. This implies that it is far from certain that Rohit and Kohli will play in the World Cup as other young players step up.
The year 2023 would have been ideal for Rohit to win his first ODI World Cup and for Kohli to win his second. But for two of Indian cricket's greatest modern-day stalwarts, the devastating outcome of losing to Australia in the final have left them with an unfulfilled dream.
According to a recent Cricbuzz report, Rohit is working extremely hard to make sure he is fit and ready for the upcoming World Cup, while Kohli during a Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) function held shortly before the IPL 2025 season remarked that winning the World Cup is his next major goal.
However, it appears that the BCCI has other ideas. The decision-makers will talk with Rohit and Kohli about their futures as they are no longer guaranteed spots in the World Cup.
"Yes, it will be discussed soon. We still have more than two years for the next World Cup (November 2027). Both Kohli and Rohit will be pushing 40 by then, so there has to be a clear plan ahead for the big event as our last win was in 2011. We also need to try out a few youngsters in time," a source told PTI.
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Beyond age, another major hurdle for Kohli and Rohit in the lead-up to the 2027 World Cup is the lack of consistent game time. India is scheduled to play just 27 ODIs until the end of 2026, spread out between Test and T20I commitments. With both veterans expected to feature only sporadically —and primarily in ODIs — it may be difficult for them to find sustained rhythm. The next time Kohli and Rohit are likely to appear together in India’s playing XI is in October, during the tour of Australia for three ODIs and five T20Is.
After that, India will play three ODIs in November against South Africa and three more in November and December against New Zealand. Even while this gap isn't very large, it's not the best situation for cricket players who are in their late 30s. Neither the BCCI nor Rohit and Kohli will pressure anyone to play in the 2027 World Cup. An ultimate decision will be made after evaluating if the two still fit into India's ODI plan of action.
"Look, both Kohli and Rohit have made huge contributions to white ball cricket for the team and the sport in general. They have achieved almost everything. So, I don’t think anybody is going to force their hand, but there will be some honest and professional conversations before the next ODI cycle starts to see where they stand mentally and physically. It depends on that," the source added.
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