There has been huge discussion surrounding the future of Indian stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in ODIs. As the road to the 2027 ODI World Cup slowly begins to take shape, questions about their place in India’s long-term plans have become a major talking point. Notably, both senior stars have repeatedly expressed their desire to continue playing until the next World Cup. However, there remains uncertainty over whether the Indian team management and the Board of Control for Cricket in India fully share the same vision.
For Kohli, he was a member of India’s victorious 2011 World Cup squad led by MS Dhoni, and over the years, Kohli has become India's finest batter in the ODIs. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma, despite featuring in multiple World Cup campaigns and leading India in recent global events, the ODI World Cup trophy has remained out of reach for him. Having already cemented his legacy as one of the most destructive opening batters in white-ball cricket, Rohit carries immense experience.
Both players have already retired from Test and T20Is, with only the ODIs now remaining their primary focus. Amid the ongoing discussions, former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has backed both Kohli and Rohit to continue pushing for places in India’s 2027 World Cup squad, highlighting their experience. According to him, players of such quality should never be written off too early.
"I can see them pushing ahead and trying to get there. One thing I've always said about champion players is you never say no. You never write them off," Ponting told PTI.
"Virat's been a good example of that again through this IPL. He's not playing as much international cricket as he once was, but that determination and want to win is still there. Rohit Sharma has turned up at this IPL in better physical condition than I've seen him probably in about 10 or 12 years. So the passion is still there for those guys to push on and make themselves the best players they can be. So like I said, you never say never," Ponting said.
Virat Kohli has been incredibly brilliant in the ongoing season of IPL, smashing 542 runs in 13 matches. Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, has blasted 283 runs in eight matches.