Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma given 'extremely tough' challenge to qualify for 2027 World Cup: 'Don't play against BAN, ZIM'

Team India's star batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli recently announced their retirements from Test cricket after enduring a flop show in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. Both had already retired from T20Is after winning the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, and the challenge to score runs in Australia forced them to have a long, hard look at themselves and their future in Test matches. Rohit and Kohli, the two pillars of Indian batting for the better part of the last decade, will now only represent India in ODIs, in which they recently won the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. Their next big assignment lies in lifting the 2027 ODI World Cup, which takes place in South Africa two years from now. Can Rohit Sharma, left, and Virat Kohli last till 2027 World Cup?(PTI)

With only a few matches scheduled between now and October 2027, maintaining fitness and form will likely be challenging for Kohli and Rohit. Yes, there is the IPL every year, but with diminishing numbers of one-day internationals – India play at least 27 matches until December 2026 – and age being a concern, along with a lack of match practice, an uphill climb awaits Kohli and Rohit. Former Indian cricketer Atul Wassan shared the preparational challenges that India's stalwarts are going to face moving ahead. He said that the ODI format is being played less compared to Tests and T20Is, making it all the more stiff for Ro-Ko to have a shot at winning their first 50-over World Cup glory together.

Kohli has an impressive trophy cabinet, boasting the 2011 ODI World Cup, Champions Trophy titles in 2013 and 2025, and a T20 World Cup victory in 2024. In contrast, Rohit is still chasing his first ODI World Cup, having narrowly missed out in 2023 when India lost to Australia in the final.

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"I think it's going to be extremely tough for Virat and Rohit to sustain their fitness levels just by playing IPL, which happens for only two months a year. And they also usually don't play against small teams like Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, as it's less motivating for them. They want a bigger challenge in front of them to get going," Wassan said on the Bails and Banter Show on the OTTPlay app.

Once the IPL 2025 wraps up, Kohli and Rohit will only return to national duty in October for a three-match ODI series against Australia. It will be interesting to see how these seasoned players maintain their form and sharpness during the extended break. A key question remains: will they participate in domestic cricket to stay match-ready, especially given the scarcity of ODI matches in recent times?

ODIs fading

Wassan further stated the fading craze of ODI cricket, as the hype is now only limited to World Cup matches. "The charm comes only with the World Cups, and now it is getting very difficult to watch ODI cricket. One would rather watch paint dry, as even I, as a commentator, find it tough to narrate things to the viewers," he said.

"I recently went to Sri Lanka to do commentary for emerging players ODI matches. I was counting overs in between, as we are now used to the T20 format. However, it's interesting to do commentary in Test matches, as there is a lot of discussion about player techniques, pitches and bowlers."

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