Mumbai: Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were distraught after losing the ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad last November. It was especially difficult to digest for the senior pros as Team India won 10 matches on the trot before losing to Australia in the title clash.
Last month, Rohit and Virat managed to erase the pains when the men in blue lifted the T20 World Cup in Barbados. Both announced their retirement from T20 Internationals, vowing to continue in Tests and ODIs.
The next ODI World Cup, though, will only be held in 2027. Skipper Rohit would have turned 40 by then, and former captain Virat 39.
Not many will back them to feature in the team that will travel to Africa for the 2027 World Cup, to be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
But all may not be lost for the super duo as far as getting another crack at the ODI World Cup.
New coach Gautam Gambhir is among those who believe age is just a number.
Addressing his maiden press conference since taking charge of Team India, Gambhir indicated that the two ageing superstars could remain in contention for the 2027 World Cup.
Gambhir is of the opinion that both Rohit and Virat have a lot of cricket left in them, and could feature regularly in the two formats.
“I think they have shown what they can deliver on the big stage, whether it’s the T20 World Cup or the 50-over World Cup as well. One thing I can be very clear of is that both those guys have a lot of cricket left in them. More importantly, with the Champions Trophy (in 2025) and a big tour of Australia (November 2024) coming up, obviously they would be motivated enough. And then, hopefully, if they can maintain their fitness, the 2027 (ODI) World Cup as well,” Gambhir said here ahead of the Indian team’s departure for an ODI and T20I series in Sri Lanka.
Besides mentioning the fitness factor, Gambhir said it’s got to be their personal decision on how long they want to continue.
“But this is a very personal decision. I can’t say how much cricket is left in them. Ultimately, it’s up to them as well, it’s up to the players. How much can they contribute to the team’s success. Because ultimately, it’s the team that is important. But looking at what Virat and Rohit can deliver, I think they still have a lot of cricket left. They’re still world-class players and obviously any team would want to have both of them for as long as possible,” stated Gambhir, who is set to embark on his maiden assignment as India head coach.
Gambhir has already said that he’s not someone who believes too much in rotation policy and workload management.
“Workload management is surely important but maybe more for someone like (Jasprit) Bumrah, who is an exceptional and a rare talent. But as far as batters are concerned, they should play. They should be available for most games. But for Bumrah, we need to keep him fresh. Workload management for fast bowlers becomes important. For Rohit and Virat, I think they can play more now that they have retired from T20I internationals,” Gambhir opined.
Taking a cue, Rohit and Virat both made themselves available for the Sri Lanka tour after reports suggested they might take an extended break.
Exciting times are ahead for Indian cricket as the Gambhir era begins.
