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The legendary Sunil Gavaskar believes the road to 2027 ODI World Cup won't be an easy one for senior India batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Kohli and Rohit featured as India announce their squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia on Saturday. However, Rohit's removal from captaincy has sparked debate about his feature.
Kohli and Rohit will be making their comeback for the first time since the Champions Trophy earlier this year. However the spotlight was stolen by Shubman Gill, who replaced Rohit as ODI captain after taking over the baton from him in Tests earlier this year. Shubman's appointment as ODI captain also marks the beginning of a generational shift in Indian cricket.
The transition also raises questions about the future of Rohit and Kohli in ODIs. With the ODI World Cup 2027 just a couple of years away, many have been left wondering if the Kohli-Rohit pair will feature in the showpiece event for India. The lack of game time for the senior batters is a major concern as they have already stepped down from Tests and T20Is.
Gavaskar believes maintaining match fitness will be the challenge for the senior duo if they are to fancy their chances of playing in the 2027 ODI World Cup. However, the legendary batter expressed uncertainty about the duo's chances of featuring in the tournament.
"It depends to a great extent on the number of one-day matches that India plays over the next couple of years. Look, it’s not easy to be playing just seven or eight ODIs in a season while preparing for something as big as a World Cup," Gavaskar was quoted as saying by India Today.
"For those eight white-ball matches, there are probably five T20s and three ODIs. That is not giving much in terms of exposure or practice for players who are approaching the latter stages of their careers," he added.
India will play only 27 ODIs in the run-up to the 2027 ODI World Cup, and the selectors and team management must provide clarity over the future of the duo, whether or not they are in the team's plans for the tournament. The significant lack of international cricket might also affect Rohit and Kohli's plans for the next ODI World Cup.
Gavaskar believes the duo will have to focus on domestic cricket to stay match fit if they want to realise their dream of representing India in the 2027 ODI World Cup, despite being in the final lap of their respective careers.
"They will have to play the Vijay Hazare Trophy in India whenever it’s scheduled, if it doesn’t clash with any international ODI tournaments. That’s one way to stay in trim and maintain match practice," said the batting legend.
