Follow UsIndian cricket icons Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have hung up their boots in T20Is and Test cricket, yet remain determined to feature in the 2027 ODI World Cup, to be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
To make that dream a reality, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar and ex-all-rounder Irfan Pathan believe the duo will have to return to domestic cricket - specifically the Vijay Hazare Trophy - to stay in rhythm and maintain match sharpness.
Kohli and Rohit have not played any competitive cricket since IPL 2025, and their last international appearance came during the Champions Trophy in February-March. By the time of the next World Cup, Kohli will be 39 and Rohit will be 40.
Both have been picked for India’s three-match ODI series in Australia, starting October 19. However, Rohit has been removed as ODI captain, with Shubman Gill taking over - an early sign that his place in the World Cup squad may not be guaranteed.
“They will have to play the Vijay Hazare Trophy in India whenever it’s scheduled, if it doesn’t clash with any international ODI tournaments. That’s one way to stay in trim and maintain match practice," Gavaskar told India Today.
“It depends to a great extent on the number of one-day matches that India plays over the next couple of years. Look, it’s not easy to be playing just seven or eight ODIs in a season while preparing for something as big as a World Cup.
"For those eight white-ball matches, there are probably five T20s and three ODIs. That is not giving much in terms of exposure or practice for players who are approaching the latter stages of their careers.”
Pathan echoed the sentiment, stressing the difference between physical readiness and game readiness. "Rohit and Virat want to play the 2027 World Cup, but game fitness will be a big challenge for them,” Pathan said on his YouTube channel.
“Rohit has worked well on his fitness. He is focused on that. But there is regular fitness, and game time fitness… If you are not playing regular cricket, both of them have to ensure some game time. They have to play domestic cricket,
"They are big players and know what to do. They have all the experience in the world. But they are not even playing T20Is, so there will be big gaps between the few matches that they play before the big World Cup. They will need regular game time to be fit for that. Only then will their dream to play the 2027 World Cup come true."
In the IPL 2025, Kohli was in stellar form, amassing 657 runs in 15 innings at an average of 54.75 and a strike rate of 144.71. Rohit scored 418 runs, averaging 29.85 with a strike rate of 149.28.
Their recent ODI numbers are pretty solid. Since 2023, Rohit has scored 1,714 runs in 37 innings at an average of 48.97 and a strike rate of 117.2. Kohli, meanwhile, has accumulated 1,710 runs in 34 innings, averaging 61.07 with a strike rate of 95.8.