Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma far from confirmed for 2027 World Cup: 'They will go away from the game', warns Sourav Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly feels that the road to the 2027 World Cup isn't as easy for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as it seems.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's retirements from Tests, split by a week, have taken Indian cricket by storm, but their decision raises hopes that they will play the 2027 World Cup. Of course, ICC's biggest and most historic white-ball tournament is more than two years away, by which time Kohli would be 39 and Rohit 40, which makes it all the more difficult for them to stay fit and maintain match fitness. But one can also look at it from a point of view that, with no pressure of T20 and Test cricket, which dominate the cricketing calendar until 2027, Kohli and Rohit can channel all their focus and energy on the ODI World Cup.

What are the reaslistic chances of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli playing the 2027 World Cup for India? (AFP)

However, Sourav Ganguly is not convinced. The former India captain reckons that Kohli and Rohit's road to the World Cup is not as easy as it seems. With at least 27 ODIs between then and now – with a possibility of more once the new FTP comes out – Kohli and Rohit need to play them all in order to realise their dream of playing the World Cup. Rohit and Kohli have won two Champions Trophy titles and one T20 World Cup trophy together, and winning the ODI World Cup and bowing out could mark the highest end to their legendary India careers.

"It won't be easy. 15 games a year. I've got no advice. I think they know the game as much as I do. And they will take a call. But all of us must understand that just like everyone, the game will go away from them and they will go away from the game," Ganguly, a former BCCI president, told PTI in an interview, the teaser of which was released on Saturday.

What next for Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma?

Besides ODIs, Rohit and Kohli also have the IPL to fall back on. While it may not directly impact how they play their ODI cricket, the very fact that they would be on the road, constantly playing 14 matches will keep those engines going. As for their retirement from Test cricket, one can understand the logic why. Rohit was no longer the Test batter that had shown promise until last year, while Kohli's increasing woes to balls outside off-stump was something he couldn't work on. Eight times was he out nicking the ball in Australia, and while he is just 36, with the belief that he could carry on for another couple of years, the number of matches until the 2027 World Cup made it tough for him to sustain playing both formats for the next two and a half years.

At the same time, Rohit and Kohli are still forces to reckon with in ODIs. In the recently concluded Champions Trophy, Kohli scored 218 runs at an average of 54.80 with one century and a fifty in India's victorious campaign. Rohit hit 180, including a crucial 76 runs in the final against New Zealand. Besides, no one can overlook their contributions in big ICC tournaments. Who can forget the 2023 World Cup in India, where Ro-Ko belted oppositions en route to finishing runner-up? South Africa will present different, tougher conditions, but with series lined up in Australia and New Zealand, Kohli and Rohit must muster every bit of motivation and energy they have to lift the World Cup and finish their careers on a high.