"You need their services..."- Ex-India selector backs 'assets' Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to play ICC Cricket World Cup 2027

MSK Prasad said that India will need services of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in ICC Cricket World Cup 2027.

Former Indian Cricket Team‘s chief selector MSK Prasad has backed Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to play ICC Cricket World Cup 2027. He also reckoned that India will need their services during the tournament, which will be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.

Prasad’s comments came after both the batting legends led India to victory in the third ODI against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney on Saturday (October 25). Chasing 237 runs, the duo built a partnership of 168 runs to take the team home by nine wickets and help India avoid a whitewash in the three-match series against the Kangaroos.

Rohit, who finished as the highest run-scorer of the ODI series with 202 runs, was adjudged Player of the Match as well as Player of the Series. During the series, he also surpassed former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly to become India’s third-highest run-scorer in ODI cricket. The 38-year-old also bagged a huge record against Australia in Australia, becoming the first Indian batter and fifth overall to smash 1000 ODI runs.

Kohli was gone for a duck in the first two games, however, he made an impressive comeback with his unbeaten 74 runs in the third encounter. With his knock, the right-handed batsman overtook Kumar Sangakkara to become the second-highest run-scorer in ODI cricket.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be big assets for India in ICC Cricket World Cup 2027: MSK Prasad

In a conversation with IANS, MSK Prasad said that Rohit and Kohli will be big assets for India during ICC Cricket World Cup 2027. He was ecstatic after watching their performance in the Sydney ODI.

“I am extremely happy -I was really looking forward to their performances in the last two matches. Unfortunately, that did not happen, but I am thrilled that it finally happened, and it is very important. As you head towards the World Cup, you need their services. People like Virat and Rohit Sharma will be big assets for the side,” he said.

“I don’t really see people looking at them based on their current form. What they have done in the past, Rohit has become fit, and Virat is fit as always. So testing those people is, like, hah, very difficult to answer! They have got 83 or 84 hundreds between them, and if you want to test them, it is something surprising to me,” Prasad added.

Notably, Rohit and Kohli announced their retirement from test cricket earlier in May. Last year, they pulled down curtains on their T20I career following India’s victory in ICC T20 World Cup 2024, with Ravindra Jadeja also hanging his boots in the shortest format. Prasad feels that it was a good decision taken by them.

“Rohit, Virat, and Jadeja: one good thing they’ve done is hand the baton to the next generation once they won the T20 World Cup. That’s a wonderful thing that has happened, and eventually these kids started flourishing and establishing themselves. We have a very good side,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Rohit and Virat will be next seen in the ODI series against South Africa next month, given they’re selected. The Men in Blue are scheduled to host the Proteas in a multi-format series, which will start with a two-match test series on November 14. The three ODI games will be played from November 30 to December 6.

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