Former Indian pacer Ashish Nehra has shared his views on the Indian talismanic batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s participation in the forthcoming ICC ODI World Cup 2027 in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
While both batters have already retired from Tests and T20Is, Nehra believes it’s too early to predict their future. Speaking at the CAB Annual Awards ceremony in Kolkata, Nehra reckoned that it would be a bit difficult to comment on the veteran duo’s future.
“We all know what Rohit and Virat have achieved over the last decade. But for me, 13 months is a long time. It is very difficult to say right now whether Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli will be there. Forget those two. Age is just a number. We talk about Shubman Gill and Jasprit Bumrah, but even Shubman is not in the T20 squad. The way the sport is going, it is fast-paced and more formats are coming. So, it is difficult to say. It is simply too early,” Nehra said as quoted by RevSportz.
“If they are doing well and performing, why not? But again, if you were the coach, or if I were the coach, it would not be my decision alone. That doesn’t work with the BCCI. There are selectors and other decision-makers involved, so there are many people involved in the decision-making process,” he added.
“It is too far away. When it comes to international cricket, the World Cup is still around 13 months away. We have seen, not just in Indian cricket but in every sport, how much things can change even in two or three weeks,” he noted.
In the recently concluded India’s tour of England ODI series played in July 2026, Rohit and Kohli finished as the top two run-getters for India in the three-match series, which England won by 2-1.
