Rohit Sharma leaves ODI World Cup participation open: October 2027 is still a long way off

Former India captain Rohit Sharma has kept the door open for his participation in the 2027 ODI World Cup and said there is still plenty of time before the tournament when asked about his plans on Thursday. “October 2027 is a long way off, we’ll see then,” Rohit said at the Global Fintech Fest when an audience member asked if he would play in the next ODI World Cup.

The former India captain’s curt reply comes amid growing speculation about his international future. Rohit, who will turn 40 in 2027, is currently only active in ODI cricket after retiring from Tests and T20Is. The 2027 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia from October 4 to November 21.

Rohit’s place in India’s ODI plans has come under scrutiny in recent weeks, especially after reports suggested the selectors could consider moving away from the veteran batsman ahead of the next World Cup cycle.

However, the BCCI has publicly downplayed the reports. BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia endorsed Rohit. after a board review meeting in Mumbai last week, where he pointed to his performances and questioned speculation surrounding his future.

“He is playing great in every match. He scored 130 in the last match he played. So, what more do you want? Why is there speculation? I don’t want to speculate,” Saikia said.

Rohit has also done little to indicate that he is ready to retire from ODI cricket. He was part of India’s squad for the three-match ODI series against England earlier this year and after the first two matches, speculation grew that the third ODI at Lord’s could be his last appearance for India.

Instead, Rohit has produced one of his best recent inningssmashing 138 off 110 balls. His performance further underlined his ability to impress at the highest level despite being in the latter stages of his international career.

His performances in recent ODI appearances have strengthened the case for his retention in the side. The veteran’s experience at the top of the order remains valuable as India work to build their squad for the 2027 tournament.

At the same time, India are expected to use the pre-World Cup period to assess their options and develop a settled ODI combination. India are expected to play at least 14 ODIs before the 2027 FIFA World Cup, excluding the postponed Bangladesh series and any potential Asia Cup matches.

Uncertainty over Rohit’s World Cup future was also acknowledged by former India paceman Ashish Nehra, who recently said it was too early to determine whether Rohit and Virat Kohli would feature in the 2027 tournament.

Rohit was also asked if India could hold an open-top bus parade if they win the 2027 World Cup, similar to the celebrations that followed their T20 World Cup triumph in Mumbai in 2024.

“I don’t think a bus parade would be possible now,” he said.

– The end

Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

10 Sep 2026 15:16 IST