The new head coach, Gautam Gambhir, addressed the media for the first time after taking on the responsibility. He, along with chief selector Ajit Agarkar, talked about some major points in Indian cricket and also what the plans are for every player and the coming tournament. However, the biggest talking points were Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
These two stalwarts of Indian cricket announced their T20I retirements after winning the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Now they will play ODIs and Tests for India. But for how long? That is the big question. But when asked about the future of these two champion batters, head coach Gautam Gambhir was very clear and hinted at their participation in the next ODI World Cup in 2027.
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Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will feature in ODI World Cup 2027 – Gautam Gambhir
The press conference was held in Mumbai ahead of the upcoming white-ball tour of Sri Lanka. India announced the squads a week ago, and both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will feature in the ODI leg of the tour, which will start on August 2. The India team are preparing for the coming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan, which is the first big event for Gautam Gambhir as head coach.
However, Gambhir was asked about the future of both Rohit and Virat in the Indian team. He said, “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. One thing I can be very clear is that both of those guys have a lot of cricket left in them. And more importantly, the Champions Trophy is coming up and a big tour of Australia, they will be motivated enough. And then hopefully, if they can keep their fitness, the 2027 World Cup is there.”
Both Virat and Rohit ended the ODI World Cup 2023 as the two highest run scorers. Virat scored 765 runs, while Rohit made 597 runs in the tournament. Their presence will be very important for India in any big tournament. That’s what Gambhir also highlighted. India reached the final of the ODI World Cup 2023 but lost to Australia.
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These two superstars have an unfinished business, and they certainly will look to end on a high. Even in the recent T20 World Cup 2024, they played a key role. Rohit was India’s highest scorer with 265 runs, while Virat played a match-turning innings of 79 in the final. Gautam Gambhir hinting at their availability for the 2027 ODI World Cup indicates that India have started planning for the next World Cup.
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