'Gautam Gambhir has made his mind on Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma for 2027 World Cup' - India teammate

The debate over the future of two of India's biggest cricket icons, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, is raging among the cricket fraternity. With both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli stepping away from Tests and T20Is, their only lifeline in international cricket remains ODI cricket.

But will they make it to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027? It is the big question on which the former cricketers have been sharing their two cents, and now the latest one is the former Indian batter Suresh Raina, who shared a dressing room with both Rohit and Kohli.

Suresh Raina backs Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to play ICC World Cup 2027

Raina backed the duo to play the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 in South Africa and Zimbabwe. He believes that experience wins tournaments, and the presence of Rohit and Kohli could make the difference in India’s hunt for their third ODI World Cup in 2027.

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India has not won the ODI World Cup since 2011, and the Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar are ready to make any call to get the winning formula ahead of the mega event. And several reports claimed that both Rohit and Kohli are not in their plans.

However, by 2027, Rohit Sharma will be 40 and Virat Kohli 39. Age, fitness, and workload are already hot topics, with insiders hinting that the Indian selectors might not carry them all the way. Some reports even suggest that the upcoming ODI series against Australia could be their last dance in blue.

They should be there in the 2027 World Cup: Suresh Raina

India’s upcoming white-ball tour of Australia will be both Kohli and Rohit’s first appearance in the national colors since the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 triumph in the UAE earlier this year. However, Raina backed the two to continue their journey till the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027.

Suresh Raina said on Shubhankar Mishra’s Podcast on YouTube: “Rohit & Kohli should play the 2027 ODI World Cup because they have won the T20 WC and the Champions Trophy; both Rohit and Virat have so much experience. I feel they will be there in the 2027 World Cup; they should be there.”

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Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's ODI numbers

Notably, Virat Kohli achieved a huge milestone by going past 14,000 runs in ODIs during the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. The former Indian captain now has 14,181 runs to his name in 302 ODI matches at a stunning average of 57.88 and a healthy strike rate of 93.34.

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Kohli’s consistency is unmatched, with 51 centuries and 74 half-centuries to his name. On the other hand, Rohit also has a remarkable record in ODI cricket. The Hitman has scored 11,168 runs in 273 matches at an average of 48.76 and a strike rate of 92.80.

Rohit, who is known for his effortless stroke play, has 32 centuries and 58 fifties to his name in the 50-over format of the game. They were also impressive in the IPL 2025 with the bat.