Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma locked in as BCCI selector reveals 2027 World Cup plan of a 20-player pool
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A former BCCI selector has urged the selectors from the Board of Control for Cricket in India to make Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli the core of the Indian team for the next World Cup in South Africa in 2027.
India have excelled in the recent series against Australia and South Africa in the longer format of white-ball cricket. India travelled to Australia and lost the series 2-1 to the hosts; however, it marked the return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to international cricket.
The South Africa series drew further attention towards the veterans as they helped with stunning half-centuries and centuries as well. A former BCCI selector urged the board and the team management to consider them for the World Cup.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli not assured of a spot in the World Cup Squad
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been special performers for India since their return to international cricket. They have scored 700+ runs between them in the last 6 matches and have scored 3 centuries (2 by Virat Kohli) and 5 half-centuries (3 by Rohit Sharma) between them.
With 22 months left for the ICC event in South Africa, the two greats should now be provided with some clarity over their spot in the squad. However, Gautam Gambhir has had the intention to stick to the present and, considering their fitness and age concerns, there are multiple obstacles on their route to the next World Cup.
The two players would next be seen in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, in India's domestic circle, and also the New Zealand ODI series, which is scheduled for January 2026.
As long as Virat Kohli and Rohit are around, the planning has to revolve around them - Ex-BCCI selector
Devang Gandhi has shared that these veterans should be the foundation of India's core team for the 2027 ICC World Cup.
“As long as Virat Kohli and Rohit are around, the planning has to revolve around them. The management must stick to a pool of not more than 20 players now. Leading up to the 2019 World Cup, no one was given enough chances to settle down at No. 4. When the top order imploded in the semifinal, no one was ready," Gandhi told TOI.
They have an extreme urge to win the ODI World Cup since India last won it back in 2011, and since then, they have missed it by a very close margin in the home World Cup of 2023. Gandhi reflects on the fact that India will have to settle on a fixed XI alongside backups as well; otherwise, one or the other loophole is often left within the team, which affects the ultimate results in ICC tournaments.
"The same happened in the 2023 World Cup, when the team management was forced to play Suryakumar Yadav, who didn’t have a good ODI record,” he added.
India struggle to fix their middle/lower order
Devang Gandhi also mentioned that, alongside the two veterans, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, a certain extent of clarity needs to be around the players in the middle order as well. Other than Shubman Gill and KL Rahul, no other player has been able to cement their role in the XI.
The likes of Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel have been constant performers for India, while Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal also registered their maiden hundreds this series. However, they have several other players like Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar fighting for a spot in the XI.
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India National Cricket Team Virat Kohli Rohit Sharma BCCI Ajit Agarkar Gautam Gambhir India vs South Africa ICC ODI World Cup ICC Cricket World CupAbout the Author
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