Ravi Shastri keeps Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli’s 2027 World Cup hopes alive after Perth horror show

Former India National Cricket Team head coach Ravi Shastri has shared his views on the future of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in international cricket, particularly with regard to the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027.

Ravi Shastri said that nothing concrete can be made out of the performance of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in their comeback game, and one needs to play a waiting game to find out whether the duo are on track to play the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's comeback game turns out disastrous

Kohli and Rohit recently made their comeback to international cricket in the first ODI of the three-match series against Australia in Perth.

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The duo put in hard yards to prepare themselves for the massive challenge Down Under against a strong Aussie pace attack. Rohit even lost around 10 kilograms of weight and did a plethora of batting practice in the nets.

Kohli also worked really hard on his fitness after staying away from the competitive cricket action for a long period. When Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli landed in Perth, they quickly hit the nets to acclimatize themselves to the conditions before the series.

However, they were unable to impress with the bat in the series opener and got out quickly. Rohit Sharma registered 8 runs off 14 balls, while Virat Kohli bagged a duck as the duo were dismissed by Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.

When you come back from a long layoff, you are obviously going to be rusty - Ravi Shastri

Speaking on The ICC Review, Ravi Shastri said that the duo were expected to look rusty because they were coming back after a long time, and only time will tell whether they can feature in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027. He elaborated:

"When you come back from a long layoff, you are obviously going to be rusty. It's not easy for any overseas team to land in Australia, say, two days prior to a game in Perth and adjust to those conditions straight away, especially when you have that extra bounce and against quality fast bowlers. But I think only time will tell. They'll go to Adelaide, they have some time off to get into the nets, get their minds sorted, and get back into action.

"So I'm in no hurry to judge, but it's when you come back at that age, after some time, it's about how much you're enjoying the sport and how much hunger is there and passion is left in you to play the game.

"So if you tick the boxes in two out of those three, especially the enjoyment part of it, then you can give them both time because they've got class, they've got experience and a little bit of time will sort things out. But I'd rather wait than jump and judge immediately."

The contribution is not over two or three years - Ravi Shastri

The former India head coach, Ravi Shastri, further highlighted that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have played exceptional cricket for over a decade and said that their legacy will always remain strong regardless of the finishing date.

"The contribution is not over two or three years. The contribution is over a decade, a decade and a half in the case of Virat. It's massive and people don't forget that," Ravi Shastri said.

"And they've played against some of the best bowlers that have been part of the game. It's special. Their legacy will remain. Whether they finish tomorrow or they finish the day after or whenever. That legacy will remain."

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