NEW DELHI: Former Indian cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth recently expressed his scepticism regarding Rohit Sharma’s participation in the 2027 ODI World Cup, given the batsman’s age.
While acknowledging Virat Kohli’s potential to play in the tournament due to his exceptional fitness, Srikkanth cast doubts on Rohit’s ability to compete at such a level past the age of 40. This criticism from the former player came in response to Gautam Gambhir’s optimistic view that both Kohli and Rohit could extend their careers to the 2027 World Cup, contingent on their fitness.
“He (Rohit Sharma) is a good player, but his age is 37 presently, and the next ODI World Cup is three more years ahead. He will be 40 years old then. I mean, unless you are a super-fit person like MS Dhoni or Sachin Tendulkar, you can’t play World Cup at 40s. Yeah, Virat Kohli could play in the 2027 World Cup, in my opinion, for sure. But for Rohit, Mr. Gambhir, you went overboard; he will faint in South Africa,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
Moreover, Srikkanth pointed out a perceived inconsistency in Gambhir’s selection philosophy.
“Gautam Gambhir has taken a U-turn. Before the T20 World Cup 2024, he was saying if Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma do not perform, they will not sit in my team. Then he took a U-turn now, saying there is no player like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. After becoming head coach, he said that both have a lot of cricket left and hopefully they will be fit for the 2027 World Cup,” he added.
Earlier, Gambhir had clarified during his first press conference as head coach that while he sees a considerable amount of cricket remaining for both Kohli and Sharma, the ultimate decision on their careers would rest with the players themselves.
“One thing I can be very clear of is that both those guys have a lot of cricket left in them. More importantly, with the Champions Trophy (in 2025) and a big tour of Australia (from November 2024), obviously they would be motivated enough. Then, hopefully, if they can keep their fitness, the 2027 World Cup as well. But this is a very personal decision. I can’t say how much cricket is left in them. Ultimately, it’s up to the players to decide how much they can contribute to the team’s success,” Gambhir said during his first press conference since taking over from Rahul Dravid.
This debate unfolds as India prepare for the upcoming cricket schedule, which includes a series against Sri Lanka featuring three T20 Internationals and three ODIs from July 27 to August 7, marking Gambhir’s first assignment in the national colours.
