David Gower says Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will not play the 2027 World Cup

Former England captain David Gower doesn’t see the veteran duo of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma take part in the 2027 ODI World Cup. The pair has already announced their retirements from T20Is and Test cricket.

On Saturday, Shubman Gill replaced Rohit Sharma as ODI captain but the latter and Kohli were retained in the ODI squad for series against Australia. While Rohit Sharma has amassed 11,168 runs in 273 ODI matches at an impressive average of 48.77, Kohli has aggregated 14,181 runs in 302 ODI games at a stunning average of 57.88; thus, their records speak for themselves.

David Gower said in an interview with Cricket Predicta, “I don’t see Virat and Rohit playing in the 2027 World Cup… Pant, yes, despite being injury-prone. The team will rely on young leaders like Gill to shape the future. This is a perfect opportunity for him to step up and guide India to success.”

On the other hand, former Indian all-rounder Madan Lal backed the selectors’ decision to appoint Shubman Gill as the new ODI captain.

“This is an excellent decision by the selectors. Making Gill captain is a forward-looking move. He will be prepared for the World Cup. Now it will be interesting to see how Rohit Sharma performs under Gill’s leadership,” said Lal (via the aforementioned source).

“Shubman Gill is an excellent leader and has proven himself in Test cricket. He came very close to breaking Don Bradman’s record. He is the future, and the selectors have made that clear. We must give him time to mature as a captain, especially as we aim for ODI glory in 2027. This series will provide him with the necessary exposure.”

Gill has led in six List A matches, with five wins and one loss. He will kick off his ODI captaincy tenure against Australia in the upcoming three-match ODI series.