India’s Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli (PTI) Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan believes the reduced frequency of ODI cricket will not bother Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as they prepare for the 2027 World Cup, pointing to their experience and professionalism as key factors.Having spent the latter part of his career as a one-format player himself, Dhawan admitted that the limited exposure to the match can affect the rhythm. Speaking to PTI, he reflected on the challenge of staying in the flow when opportunities are spread out.
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James Hopes reacts after PBKS loss, calls it ‘reality check’“Yes, when you play one format at the international level, your flow gets disrupted,” Dhawan said.He explained that players often focus on maintaining peak fitness during such phases, especially when matches are infrequent. However, he made it clear that seasoned players like Rohit and Kohli are well equipped to handle the challenge.“So the players focus on fitness because you don’t play too many games. You talk about Rohit and Virat and they are mature individuals. It is a challenge but they know how to turn a challenge into an opportunity.”“If you look at their fitness, Virat has always been fit but Rohit has undergone a massive transformation,” he added.Dhawan also highlighted how the 2027 World Cup build-up planning should work in their favor to give both players enough time in the middle to find a rhythm.“Now that WC 2027 is around the corner, they will get a chance to play a lot of ODI matches. If you look at the time when I became a single format player, there was the T20 World Cup (2021 and 22) and I played ODIs which were few and far between. So matches will not be a problem for Rohit and Virat and there is enough time for the event.”Both Rohit and Kohli have been in strong ODI form of late. Rohit, who led India to the Champions Trophy 2025 title before being replaced as captain by Shubman Gill in October, has enjoyed a productive year. In 14 matches, he scored 650 runs at an average of 50, including two hundreds and four fifties. However, his last series against New Zealand saw a slump where he managed just 61 runs at an average of 20.33 in three matches.Kohli, on the other hand, was an excellent contact in the format. In 2025, he amassed 651 runs in 13 matches at an average of 65.10, with three centuries and four fifties. He carried that form into 2026 when he scored 240 runs at an average of 80 in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand in January.With form and experience on their side, both veterans look well placed as India progress to the next global event.
