Big news for fans of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Your favorite stalwarts are in the running for a spot on India’s 2027 World Cup squad. When their 2023 World Cup campaign ended in heartbreak with a final defeat to Australia, it was expected that Rohit and Kohli’s ODI careers would end without winning the 50-over World Cup.
The duo had their brotherly moment under the sun when India won the T20 World Cup in the West Indies. The fact that new head coach Gautam Gambhir has kept the door open for another shot at World Cup triumph, feels like a backdrop for an ideal farewell for India’s superstar-hitting partnership. But there is a catch. Rohit will be 40 years old and Virat Kohli will be 39 when the World Cup arrives in 2027. Gambhir has stated that for Ro-Ko to compete in the World Cup, they must be physically fit. There is no one better at fitness than Virat Kohli.
Virat Kohli’s Strategy for Longevity
Virat Kohli has the opportunity to properly control his workload if he expects to continue for another three years. Rohit may not be as athletic as Kohli. But the Indian captain is in excellent shape. However, a comment from former India opener Kris Srikkanth casts Rohit in a negative light.
The former BCCI selector believes that while Virat Kohli is nearly certain to compete in the 2019 ODI World Cup, Rohit would struggle due to fitness concerns. During a talk with his son Anirudha, ‘Cheeka’, as he is affectionately known, stated on his YouTube channel that Rohit may collapse if he plays in the next World Cup, which may be held in South Africa. The ex-opener said:
He [Rohit] is a good player, but his current age is 37, and the next ODI World Cup is three years away. He’ll be 40 years old then. You cannot play the World Cup in your forties. In my opinion, Virat Kohli may play in the 2027 World Cup. But for Rohit, Mr. Gambhir, you went too far; he will swoon in South Africa. . Virat Kohli won the World Cup in 2011 at the age of 22, while Rohit did so in 2007. They both won their first World Cup with India.
Rohit’s Legacy and Future Prospects
India’s wait for an ICC trophy became longer. Rohit and Virat Kohli won the Champions Trophy together in 2013, but both were knocked out in subsequent rounds. India lost in the semifinals of the 2015 World Cup and the 2016 World T20 before losing to Pakistan in the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy in England. Two years later, despite being the top-ranked team in the group stage, India suffered another semifinal exit. The 2021 T20 World Cup was a disaster for India, as they were eliminated in the first round, and despite a much braver performance the following year in Australia, they were thrashed by England in another semi-final.
The much-anticipated home World Cup arrived in 2023, and as India dominated its opponents, winning ten in a row, it was almost certain that Rohit’s team would be immortalized. However, despite all odds, they finished second place. The hoodoo was finally broken last month when Rohit completed his redemption story and won India’s fourth World Cup. He has repeatedly stated that the ODI World Cup is the ultimate World Cup for him. So, even though he will be 40 at the time, Rohit is expected to retire as a three-time World Cup winner.
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