Rohit Sharma issued ultimatum to work on fitness to keep 2027 World Cup hopes alive

Former India National Cricket Team wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has opened up on the possibility of the modern-day batting great Rohit Sharma taking part in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027.

Dinesh Karthik stated that Rohit Sharma needs to continue working on his fitness levels to stay in top shape and give himself a chance to feature in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027.

His dream was to be a captain of a team that wins a World Cup - Dinesh Karthik on Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma has been an exceptional leader for over a decade, and his trophy cabinet is proof of it. After leading the Mumbai Indians (MI) to five Indian Premier League (IPL) titles, he took over the captaincy of India across formats and revolutionized the team.

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The best of Rohit Sharma was seen in white-ball cricket as he made India a dominant force in World Cricket and even ended the wait of over a decade for the ICC title under his leadership.

Since 2013, India were struggling to bag ICC trophies as they came very close to it, but ended up falling on the wrong side of the result. The same thing happened with Rohit Sharma-led India in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 when they suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Australia in the summit clash.

However, that didn't demotivate Rohit Sharma as he bounced back and steered India to ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 and ICC Champions Trophy 2025 triumphs.

Rohit led India from the very front in all the tournaments he captained and played sensational innings at the top. With him retiring from Test and T20I cricket and being sacked as ODI skipper, now he would be eyeing a spot in India's 2027 World Cup squad.

Meanwhile, speaking on Cricbuzz, Dinesh Karthik said that Rohit always wanted to be a World Cup-winning captain, and now he wants to add a 50-over World Cup trophy to his kitty. He said:

“I think from the moment he lost that 2023 World Cup final, his dream was to be a captain of a team that wins a World Cup — which he achieved in 2024 in the Caribbean. That fire is still burning, and he wants to win the 50-over World Cup.”

I’m really looking forward to seeing Rohit Sharma the batter - Dinesh Karthik

Rohit Sharma has landed in Australia for a three-match ODI series, and Dinesh Karthik is excited to see how the opening batsman will perform. He said:

“I’m really looking forward to seeing Rohit Sharma the batter. When he is in form, he’s absolutely poetry in motion — especially in the powerplay, when he takes on bowlers fearlessly and sets up a solid platform for the rest of the innings.”

Karthik further highlighted how Rohit Sharma has adopted a totally selfless approach and stopped chasing any milestones. The former India wicketkeeper-batsman said:

“Rohit has evolved beautifully. He’s not just playing for milestones anymore — he’s setting the tone for the team. That kind of selfless intent has been refreshing to see. Even in that World Cup final, the way he batted up front showed what he brings to Indian cricket.”

He’ll be ready - Dinesh Karthik on Rohit Sharma's 2027 World Cup participation

The RCB coach also talked about Rohit Sharma's 2027 World Cup hopes and stated that he would be fully ready for the tournament if he manages to work really hard on his fitness over the course of the next two years. He said:

“I have no doubt that Rohit Sharma the batter will be extremely valuable. It’s going to be a World Cup in South Africa in 2027 — yes, it’s a long way away, but if he puts his mind to it, which he has, and continues working on his fitness, he’ll be ready. He’s going to come back after a bit of a break — something he probably hasn’t had in his career — and that will make him fresh and hungry again.”

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