Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s 2027 World Cup dream in danger, BCCI ready to discuss the future

Indian cricket legends Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are currently active only in the One Day International format. Both the legends retired from T20 Internationals after leading India to historic victories in the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup held in the USA and West Indies. Earlier this year, in May, they had also announced their retirement from Test cricket just before the squad was announced for the England tour.

While the Indian Test team is being praised for their performance in the recently concluded England tour, the BCCI, on the other hand, has reportedly started planning for the next ODI World Cup. And this could decide the future of two of India’s finest cricketers – Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

The next ODI World Cup is scheduled to be held in 2027 and both the players will be 40 years old by then. Interestingly, the Board of Control for Cricket in India was surprised by their decision to pursue ODI careers. It was believed that they would retire after winning the Champions Trophy. However, Rohit confirmed his desire to continue playing ODIs in the post-match press conference. According to reports, the BCCI is planning to discuss their future plans with the two soon.

We need to try some youngsters in time as well: BCCI source

“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 around 40 by then, so there should be a clear plan for the big event as our last win was in 2011. We need to try some youngsters in time as well,” a BCCI source was quoted as saying by The Week.

Both the players have not featured in any competitive ODIs since the Champions Trophy final. Hence, the board is reportedly considering asking them to play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy scheduled later this year to maintain their match fitness and form.

“Look, both Kohli and Rohit have made a huge contribution to the team and white-ball cricket in general. They have achieved almost everything. So, I don’t think anyone is going to put any pressure on them but there will be some honest and professional talks before the next ODI cycle starts,” the BCCI source said.