Former Indian fast bowler Ashish Nehra discussed the chance of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli playing in the 2027 ODI World Cup, stating that they have the desire and drive to continue that long. Recently, the new head coach, Gautam Gambhir, said that if Rohit and Virat maintain their fitness and performance, they could be considered for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have decided to stop playing in T20 matches after India won the T20 World Cup in 2024. Now, they will only play in One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Test matches, as there are two big ICC events planned for next year. When asked if they might play in the ODI World Cup in 2027, Nehra said that they are very passionate and motivated to keep playing, but they need to keep improving.
“This is about both physical and mental strength. It depends on how passionate and motivated you are, and Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are very passionate and motivated. That’s why they’ve become so successful. Young players like Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Sai Sudharsan are scoring lots of runs and pushing the older players. To stay ahead, you need to keep improving. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have done this and shown it,” Nehra said on Sports Tak.
Continuing, Nehra mentioned that 2027 seems a long way off, but if the team can reach that point, it would be fantastic for them.
“Right now, 2027 feels very distant. But it’s a positive idea. If you ask me, ‘I wish I could stay 18 forever. I never wanted to retire.’ If you gave Gambhir a choice and told him his body was still in good shape, he’d say, ‘No, Sai Sudharsan, I’m ready.’ Four years is a long time, but it’s a good thought. However, if that can happen, it would be amazing,” he continued.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma just missed out on winning the ODI World Cup together, as they lost to Australia by six wickets in the final last year. By the next time the event happens, India’s captain Rohit Sharma will be 40 years old, and Kohli will be over 38. Therefore, both players will need to focus a lot on their fitness and performance in the next few years to remain in the contention for the ODI World Cup.
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