Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma offered lifeline for 2027 World Cup by Gautam Gambhir: ‘One thing I can be very clear about is…’

In his first press conference since taking over as the new India coach, Gautam Gambhir spoke about the future of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, indicating that both could remain in contention for the 2027 World Cup. Rohit and Kohli, the two stalwarts of Indian cricket who announced their retirement from T20 internationals after India’s T20 World Cup victory last month in the West Indies, still have plenty of cricket left in them, believes Gambhir, and with big tournaments like the Champions Trophy and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy lined up, the new head coach is confident of seeing ‘Ro-Ko’ feature regularly in ODIs and Tests in the future.

Rohit and Kohli will be back in action for the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka starting August 1. While they were initially expecting a longer break, Kohli and Rohit were back in contention, apparently at the request of Gambhir, for whom the SL tour is his first assignment as India coach. Also, given that India have only a handful of ODIs left before the Champions Trophy next year, the return of Rohit and Kohli is an added boost for the Men in Blue and will serve as a preparation for the two superstars ahead of the next big ICC tournament early next year.

And if things stay as planned, who knows, maybe even the 2027 World Cup, when Kohli will be 39 and Rohit 40.

“I think they have shown what they can offer on the big stage, be it the T20 World Cup or the 50-over World Cup. One thing I can be very clear about is that both these guys have a lot of cricket left in them. More importantly, with the Champions Trophy (in 2025) and a big tour of Australia (in November 2024), they would obviously be motivated enough. And then, hopefully, if they can maintain their fitness, the 2027 (ODI) World Cup as well,” Gambhir said in Mumbai on Monday.

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“But it’s a very personal decision. I can’t say how much cricket they have left. Ultimately, it also depends on them, the players. How much can they contribute to the success of the team. Because ultimately, it’s the team that’s important. But looking at what Virat and Rohit can bring, I think they have a lot of cricket left to play. They are still world-class players and obviously, any team would want to have both of them for as long as possible.”

Workload management is more within the reach of someone like Jasprit Bumrah, insists Gautam Gambhir

Another important aspect that Gambhir touched on regarding Kohli and Rohit is their workload management. A staunch advocate of the need for players to continue to play regularly, Gambhir hopes the same for Kohli and Rohit, despite being 35 and 37 respectively. The former India opener weighed the pros and cons of workload management, stressing that while it is important for someone like Jasprit Bumrah, who Kohli has cited as a “once-in-a-generation bowler” and some other pacers, guys like Kohli and Rohit should continue to play as much as they can, especially now that they have completely abandoned a format.

“Workload management is certainly important, but maybe more so for someone like Bumrah, who is an exceptional and rare talent. But as far as batsmen are concerned, they should play. They should be available for most of the games. But for Bumrah, we have to keep him fresh. Workload management for fast bowlers becomes important. For Rohit and Virat, I think they can play more now that they have retired from T20I internationals.”