Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for 2027 World Cup? Gautam Gambhir on ODI futures
India head coach Gautam Gambhir has clarified that the team management is not yet focusing on the 2027 ODI World Cup when asked about the potential involvement of veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Speaking in an interview with News18, Gambhir reflected on the duo's recent Test retirements and emphasized that the team's immediate focus is on the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will be hosted in India.advertisementFollowing Rohit and Kohli's Test retirement, 10 months after they exited T20Is post India's 2024 T20 World Cup win, there has been growing speculation around their future in the ODI format. While the 2027 World Cup is the next major ODI event, Gambhir insisted that planning for it would be premature. He reiterated that the 2026 T20 World Cup is the team's current priority.'We still have a T20 World Cup before that, and that is again a huge tournament, which is going to happen in India in February-March. So, the entire focus at the moment—after England—will be on the T20 World Cup. And November-December 2027 is still two-and-a-half years away,' Gambhir said.
'I've always said one thing—if you keep performing, age is just a number,' he added.Rohit and Kohli's last ODI appreaence came in India's Champions Trophy triumph earlier this year, but their next white-ball international tournament is still under speculation.advertisementAfter both players had quiet outings during India's Border-Gavaskar Trophy defeat to Australia earlier this year, questions were raised about their Test futures. Just before India's away series against England, both Kohli and Rohit decided to step away from red-ball cricket, marking the beginning of a new era in Indian Test cricket.Reflecting on the duo's retirement calls, Gambhir acknowledged the significance of the moment but also called on the rest of the Test squad to step up in the absence of India's two most seasoned players. Leadership decisions will also be crucial, as selectors consider names like Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant to take the captaincy mantle from Rohit.'I think when you start the game and when you want to finish, it's a very individual decision. No one has the right—be it the coach, the selector, or anyone in this country—to tell someone when to retire and when not to retire. It comes from within,' Gambhir added.'And yes, we've got to be without two senior players—two really experienced players. Sometimes, I believe that it's an opportunity for someone else to put their hand up and say, 'Okay, I'm ready for it.' So yes, it will be tough, but there will be players putting their hands up for sure. This question was asked to me before the Champions Trophy as well, when Jasprit Bumrah wasn't there. I said exactly the same thing: someone missing out might give another person an opportunity to do something special for the country. Hopefully, there will be other guys waiting for that opportunity.'advertisementWith the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) likely to announce the squad on May 24 following a meeting between the selectors led by Ajit Agarkar and Gambhir, all eyes will be on who steps into the shoes of Rohit and Kohli.As for the ODI future of the two legends, Gambhir said no final call has been made yet. Until there's official word, uncertainty around their 50-over careers remains.Must Watch
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
15 minutes ago
- Mint
Turkey inflict third straight loss on World Cup hosts USA
The United States suffered their third straight loss under coach Mauricio Pochettino as they fell to a 2-1 friendly defeat to Turkey in Hartford, Connecticut on Saturday. Pochettino, whose team lost to Panama and Canada in the CONCACAF Nations League finals in March, was without several starters, including captain and AC Milan winger Christian Pulisic. Almost a year out from the start of the World Cup, which the USA is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico, Pochettino used the match to take a look at some of those on the fringes of his squad. One of those, Houston Dynamo midfielder Jack McGlynn, put the home side ahead in the second minute in spectacular fashion. The 21-year-old picked the ball up on the right flank, cut inside and then curled a beautiful shot from 20-yards out into the far corner. It was an intense start from a hungry looking USA, but Turkey soon found their footing and began to apply pressure on the USA back line. Arda Guler missed a great chance, unmarked in the box he leaned back and fired over the bar and then Orkun Kokcu forced debutant keeper Matt Freese into a fine save with a fierce drive. The visitors' pressure paid off in the 24th minute but it was gifted to them by USA midfielder Johnny Cardoso who, attempting to play out from the back, clipped a pass against Guler which ricocheted past Freese and into the net. Less then three minutes later, Turkey had the lead after the USA defence was unable to clear and the ball fell to Kerem Akturkoglu who drove home. Pochettino's men were much better after the break though and were unfortunate not to draw level - Max Arfsten headed wide from close range and Patrick Agyemang had a shot on target but the best opportunity fell to Malik Tillman. Substitute Tyler Adams floated a lovely cross to the back post but with all the goal to aim at, Tillman headed straight at Turkey keeper Berke Ozer. As the USA pushed forward in search of an equalizer, Turkey had a late chance to make it 3-1 but after a swift counter-attack Baris Alper Yilmaz screwed his shot wide. "For the first time for a few camps there were more positives than negatives," said midfielder Adams. "I think we have a lot of room for growth, if you asked me in March, I would say that we were far away but after a performance like that, there's a lot more positives that we can take away," he added. The USA face Switzerland in Nashville on Tuesday.
The Hindu
15 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Indian men's hockey team loses 1-2 to Netherlands in Euro leg of Pro League
The Indian men's hockey team squandered a one goal lead to lose 1-2 to Olympic champions Netherlands in the first match of the European leg of FIH Pro League here on Saturday. The Netherlands struck the winning goal two minutes from the final whistle through Van Dam Thijs (58th minute), who also scored the equalising goal in the 25th minute. Captain Harmanpreet Singh had converted the first penalty corner of the match in the 19th minute to give India the lead. India began the match on a strong note, dominating possession with crisp passing despite Netherlands' high press. While the first eight minutes didn't yield any real threats on goal from either side, India got an opportunity soon after as they won the ball in the Dutch circle. Dilpreet Singh's reverse hit, however, was shut down at close range by Dutch goalkeeper Maurits Visser. At the other end, Netherlands threatened late in the first quarter as Thierry Brinkman approached the right flank, but the Indian defence stood firm to avert the danger. The Netherlands came out with intent in the second quarter, with Steijn van Heijningen testing Suraj Karkera in the 17th minute, only for the Indian goalkeeper to block the effort. India responded with purpose and were rewarded with a penalty corner after Dilpreet was impeded by a stick challenge inside the circle. Captain Harmanpreet stepped up and fired a powerful, low shot to give India the lead. As the second quarter progressed, India exhibited a tight defensive formation, but the home team managed to get the breakthrough in the 25th minute with Thijs van Dam finding the equaliser, leaving the scores at 1-1 before half-time. As the second half began, India's strong passing game was at the centre of proceedings, but the visitors were encumbered by a lack of clear scoring opportunities and shots on goal. To break the deadlock, India looked to bypass the midfield with long aerial balls, but the Dutch defence were up to the task. At the other end, the Netherlands grew increasingly assertive, posing more questions of the Indian backline, though the scores remained 1–1 after a tepid third quarter. The Netherlands had the lion's share of possession in the final quarter, and the hosts made it count. Thijs van Dam struck again in the 58th minute, making the most of a well-placed pass into the circle. With a deft first touch to control, he followed up with a fierce strike, ensuring victory for Netherlands. India will face Netherlands again on Monday in the second match of the European leg. India played the home leg of the ongoing Pro League in Bhubaneswar earlier this year, where they amassed 15 points with five wins in eight games.
Mint
29 minutes ago
- Mint
England booed off in Barcelona even after a Harry Kane goal, here's why
England would have received an early embarrassment, if not for Harry Kane. Kane managed to score his 72nd international goal against much lower-ranked Andorra and helped England land an otherwise ugly 1-0 win in the World Cup qualifying rounds. This marked a shaky start to the World Cup campaign, but it was great news for other teams like Austria and the Netherlands, who also started their FIFA WC journey with wins on Saturday. Even after the win, Thomas Tuchel's side was booed off in Barcelona after failing to impress the viewers, after almost tying with a team ranked 173rd in the world. However, on the plus side, Tuchel, after this game, becomes the first England manager to win the first three competitive games without conceding a goal, according to an AFP report. "I'm not happy with the performance. We completely lost the momentum and couldn't get it back. We ended up in a place that was not good enough in terms of urgency," Tuchel was quoted as saying after the game.
