Gavaskar does not see Rohit, Virat playing in 2027 ODI World Cup

Mumbai, May 13 (IANS) Senior Indian batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have retired from Test cricket to prolong their ODI career, but former India captain Sunil Gavaskar does see them going on for a long time and playing in the 2027 World Cup.

Rohit and Virat, who quit the shortest format after India won the 2024 T20 World Cup in the Caribbean, will now be active only in ODIs on the international stage.

Rohit is one of the greatest batters in the 50-over game with three double hundreds, while Kohli has struck 51 centuries in the ODI format. Both of them are quite accomplished in the format.

Still, cricket great Sunil Gavaskar doesn't think playing in the 2027 World Cup is practically possible for Rohit and Virat.

Gavaskar said it all depends on how much the selectors feel they can contribute to the squad.

"They have been massive performers in this format of the game. Again, the selection committee will probably be looking at the 2027 World Cup. They will be looking at whether they will be able to be on the team for the 2027 World Cup. 'Will they be able to make the kind of contributions they have been making?' That will be the thought process of the selection committee. If the selection committee thinks 'yes, they can', then both of them will be there for that," Gavaskar told Sports Today in an interaction.

Gavaskar said in the current form, both Rohit and Kohli would not make the squad. "No, I don't think they will be playing. I am being very honest. But, who knows, in the next year or so, if they strike a rich vein of form and if they keep scoring hundreds and hundreds, even God can't drop them," Gavaskar said.

Besides his recent poor form, Rohit will also have to tackle issues with his fitness, which has resulted in the Mumbai Indians using him as an impact substitute in most of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Though fitness is not a concern in Kohli's case and he seems in top form in the IPL with 505 runs in 11 matches, his ODI form was not that good since the 2023 World Cup in India. He has expressed his desire to play in the 2027 World Cup; it remains to be seen how he maintains himself match-fit with very little playtime available for him.

--IANS

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