Robin Uthappa opens up on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s ODI future ahead of 2027 World Cup

Former Indian batter Robin Uthappa reckons the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel made the right call in giving Shubman Gill the ODI captaincy ahead of the three-match series against Australia. Uthappa highlighted that Rohit Sharma would be 41 years old when the next ODI World Cup will be played and thus backed the selectors’ call. 

The former flamboyant batter also shed light on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s ODI future. The duo has been consistently delivering the goods in ODIs and they would look to carry the good show. 

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.

Robin Uthappa said on his YouTube Channel, “He’s gonna be, in all honesty, 41 when that World Cup comes around. Right? So, you gotta keep that in consideration as well. And for all intentional purposes, I think it’s done with taking the decision when the stakes are low rather than when the stakes are high, you don’t want another situation like what happened in Australia.

“To happen to Rohit Sharma, he’s too good a player for something to happen to him like that again. So, maybe to avoid all those stuffs. Maybe, I don’t know… You don’t want an uncomfortable situation like that, and if he keeps himself fit, then no questions there. You know Rohit and Virat will be a part of that side.”

“Yeah, I think so. I think they’ve been doing well as well… So far, they’ve played exceptionally well. So, I think they’ll continue to do well… They know how they get their runs and how they perform well, and they’ll stick to their set templates that works for them, and I think they’ll continue to do that.

“I don’t see form kind of dipping that sense, but it’s just about reflexes and does that work, and how those things work because right now, they are not playing a lot of cricket as well. The only cricket they’ll find themselves playing is perhaps the IPL and One Day cricket, and perhaps maybe some domestic One Day matches if they do come by.”

Uthappa urged the veteran batting duo to keep working on their game and deliver consistently in ODIs.

“They will have to keep working on their game, and it can be a little weird to be very honest because when you’re not playing one format, you’re playing the other, then there is ebb and the flow of rhythm, right? And so, that’s something they need to work on, but I think they’ll be fine.”

Kohli and Rohit will be seen in action in a three-match ODI series against Australia.