India’s two most decorated batsmen, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, have already retired from T20Is and Tests but will play the 50-over format and are keen to represent the team in the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
But the views of Sourav Ganguly, the former India skipper and BCCI president, are different. According to him, it will not be a cakewalk for the duo to stay in touch with form playing just one format of the game. Currently, the Men in Blue have 27 ODIs lined up ahead of the next World Cup, and both Kohli and Rohit would desire maximum game time.
“It will not be simple. 15 matches a year. I do not have any suggestions. I believe that they are as familiar with the game as I am, and they will take a call. But we all have to realize that like anybody else, the game will drift away from them, and they will drift away from the game,” Ganguly said in an interview with PTI, which is reported by Hindustan Times.
The two batsmen recently played for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Kohli and Rohit have both played very well in the 50-over format for India. Since 2023, Rohit has scored 1,714 runs at an average of 48.97 and a strike rate of 117.2, while Kohli has scored 1,710 runs at an average of 61.07 and a strike rate of 95.8.
