Former India captain and head coach Anil Kumble has weighed in on the ongoing debate surrounding Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s chances of featuring in the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by South Africa and Namibia.
Speaking on JioHotstar, Kumble urged fans and critics to focus on celebrating the duo’s incredible contributions rather than speculating too far ahead about their future in the game.
“Let’s just celebrate the two players on the field. They have done so much for Indian cricket over the years,” Kumble said. “You don’t know if… yes, in their heads, they have been thinking of 2027, but it’s still a couple of years from now.”
With both Kohli and Rohit having stepped away from Tests and T20Is, ODIs remain their only active international format. Their sights are reportedly set on one final shot at World Cup glory, having narrowly missed out in 2023 when Australia clinched the title.
Kumble, however, believes the focus should be on the present rather than long-term goals.
“Now that Rohit is no longer the captain, the burden of leadership is off his shoulders. It’s just about batting and enjoying every moment they have on the field,” he added. “Ideally, you’d want both of them to be part of the 2027 line-up, but it’s better to take things year by year.”
India will play a three-match ODI series against Australia in Perth (Oct 19), Adelaide (Oct 23), and Sydney (Oct 25) — with both Kohli and Rohit included in the 15-man squad.
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Maintaining peak match fitness, however, may prove challenging given the duo’s reduced international schedule and limited T20 league participation. Despite that, their performances during India’s Champions Trophy triumph earlier this year reaffirmed their value to the team.
“They just need to do what’s required to prepare for ODIs six months down the line — that’s going to be the challenge,” Kumble said. “They would want to play until the 2027 World Cup and win it — something that didn’t happen in 2023. But these two are champions, and fans everywhere will still turn up in numbers to watch them play.”
Kumble’s remarks come shortly after Ravi Shastri made similar comments about the veterans’ longevity, sparking renewed conversation about India’s transition phase in limited-overs cricket.
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