Is the end near for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as India eye 2027 ODI World Cup?

As India drew the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2-2 in a tightly contested home series against England, a new generation of cricketers emerged gritty, fearless, and ready to carry the mantle forward.

But even as young names like Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, and Sai Sudharsan stepped up, the spotlight quietly shifted to two of India’s biggest modern-day stars: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

Having officially retired from T20Is and Test cricket, Kohli and Rohit’s future in One Day Internationals is now under the scanner, as per a PTI report. Both players, now in their mid-30s, Kohli is 36 and Rohit 38, may next be seen in the upcoming ODI series in Australia and South Africa later this year.


But beyond that, the build-up towards the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa looks thin, with only six more ODIs scheduled, three each against New Zealand and England, till mid-2026.

This limited schedule raises a key question: will Kohli and Rohit remain part of India’s plans for the next ODI World Cup, or has their time in the blue jersey run its course?

“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 pushing 40 by then, so, there has to be a clear plan ahead for the big event as our last win was in 2011. We also need to try out a few youngsters in time,” a source told PTI.

While both exited T20Is on a high after winning the 2024 World Cup, their retirement from Test cricket was low-profile. Whether they get to pick their own exit timeline from ODIs remains uncertain.

“Look, both Kohli and Rohit have made huge contributions to white ball cricket for the team and the sport in general. They have achieved almost everything. So, I don’t think nobody’s going to force their hand, but there will be some honest and professional conversations before the next ODI cycle starts to see where they stand mentally and physically. It depends on that,” PTI quoted the source as saying.

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A similar case was when MS Dhoni took charge from Ganguly in 2007. Notable exits were seen between 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup. That phase laid the groundwork for a new-look Indian team, with fresh talent rising through the ranks.

At the time, questions around the future of experienced players like Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly led to a reset that eventually built the 2011 World Cup-winning squad. The present moment hints at a similar fate for Ro-Ko.

Another concern is the lack of match time. Since the Champions Trophy earlier this year, neither has played competitive cricket. The domestic calendar offers little white-ball cricket before November’s Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s and the Vijay Hazare one-dayers in December.

Under BCCI rules, centrally contracted players who are fully fit are required to participate in domestic competitions. Non-compliance may lead to exclusion from national squads. Though exceptions can be made for senior players, it remains to be seen whether that leeway will be extended.

The Bumrah balancing act

The situation with Jasprit Bumrah is different. Having featured in only three Tests in the England series, the fast bowler is being managed carefully by physios due to his injury history. The broader debate now is whether India should preserve him for specific formats.

“There is no question on the value that he brings to the side. But the management and board need to discuss how to use him — as an all format bowler or should he be asked to concentrate only on one or two formats,” a former player, who has seen Bumrah from close quarters, told PTI.

“Siraj, Akash Deep and Prasidh have shown us that they can win Tests for India. Let’s back them fully. We have two important tournaments (T20 and ODI WC) coming our way, and we need Bumrah ready for them.

"For home matches (vs West Indies, SA), we have Washi and Kuldeep along with Jadeja, and Bumrah’s role will not be that big here.

"So, if you ask me, he should be asked to focus more on white ball formats for now as there are enough T20s and one-dayers for him to play in the next two years. Yeah, IPL too is there. It’s better to have him play all matches in one format rather than him playing a few matches in all formats. It adds value to the team,” he said.

(With inputs from PTI)