“They are thinking of the 2027 World Cup”- Anil Kumble’s huge statement about Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's future

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will be in action for India in Australia for the first time since their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 appearance.

In his remarks regarding the future of veteran batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, legendary Indian spinner Anil Kumble said that since there is no assurance that the two will be included in India’s 2027 ICC ODI World Cup squad, it is best to honour their accomplishments and enjoy their batting.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection panel has replaced 38-year-old Rohit Sharma with Shubman Gill as India’s test and ODI captain. The 36-year-old Virat Kohli, meanwhile, has moved to London and avoided the spotlight since Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team won Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.

India’s selection for the three ODIs in Australia recently included Rohit and Kohli, who have both retired from T20Is and test matches. But, their future has been the major talking point and several reports have claimed that to keep themselves in the fray for the World Cup, they need to play domestic cricket.

“Let us just celebrate the two players on the field”- Anil Kumble on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma

Before the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup, India will play nine One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and another eighteen after that before the 2027 ICC World Cup begins. Even though it’s unknown if Kohli and Rohit will be part of India’s squad for the ICC World Cup in 2027 in Africa, Kumble stressed that the final decision will be made at the appropriate time.

“Let us just celebrate the two players on the field. They have done so much for Indian cricket over the years. You don’t know if… yes, in their heads, they have been thinking of 2027 [World Cup], but it is still a couple of years from now.

“There are matches; all you need to do is go out there and enjoy, and now that Rohit is no longer the captain, even the burden and responsibility of captaining isn’t on him. So, it is just about batting and enjoying every moment that they have on the field. I don’t think they need to think too far ahead in terms of 2027,” Kumble said while speaking on JioHotstar.

As they play for India for the first time since winning the ICC Champions Trophy in March, Kohli and Rohit will be in the spotlight. They will have to work to get into their flow before the Australia series.

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