- SportsTak

India's head coach Gautam Gambhir recently addressed questions regarding potential participation of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the ODI World Cup 2027. Gambhir made it clear that the Indian Team Management is not currently focused on the 2027 tournament.

If you keep performing, age is just a number: Gautam Gambhir on Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma's participation in ODI WC 2027

Gambhir, during an interview with News18, acknowledged the recent Test retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, which occurred ten months after their exit from T20Is following India's title triumph in T20 World Cup 2024. This has led to considerable speculation about their future in the ODI format. However, Gambhir emphasised that the team's immediate priority is the T20 World Cup 2026, which India will host. He reiterated that planning for the 2027 ODI World Cup would be premature at this stage.

“We still have a T20 World Cup before that, and that is again a huge tournament, which is going to happen in India in February-March. So, the entire focus at the moment—after England—will be on the T20 World Cup. And November-December 2027 is still two-and-a-half years away. I’ve always said one thing—if you keep performing, age is just a number,” Gambhir said.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli last played an ODI in India's Champions Trophy 2025 win earlier this year, but their next white-ball international appearance remains uncertain.

Their quiet performances during India's Border-Gavaskar Trophy defeat to Australia earlier this year sparked discussions about their Test careers. Both Kohli and Rohit subsequently announced their retirement from red-ball cricket just before India's away series against England, ushering in a new chapter for Indian Test cricket.

Reflecting on their retirements, Gautam Gambhir acknowledged the significance of their departure. He also emphasized the need for the rest of the Test squad to rise to the occasion in the absence of these two seasoned players. Leadership is another key consideration, with selectors reportedly looking at players like Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant as potential successors to Rohit's captaincy.

“I think when you start the game and when you want to finish, it’s a very individual decision. No one has the right—be it the coach, the selector, or anyone in this country—to tell someone when to retire and when not to retire. It comes from within,” Gambhir added.

“And yes, we’ve got to be without two senior players—two really experienced players. Sometimes, I believe that it’s an opportunity for someone else to put their hand up and say, ‘Okay, I’m ready for it.’ So yes, it will be tough, but there will be players putting their hands up for sure. This question was asked to me before the Champions Trophy as well, when Jasprit Bumrah wasn’t there. I said exactly the same thing: someone missing out might give another person an opportunity to do something special for the country. Hopefully, there will be other guys waiting for that opportunity,” he concluded.

The duo will next be seen in ODI series against Bangladesh in August. However, there were reports that India might not tour Bangladesh for the series due to tensions between the nations. India will then tour Australia for a three-match ODI series in October.