Former India player Irfan Pathan stated that while age may not be a major concern for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, maintaining regular game-time will be important if they want to stay in contention for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Notably, both of them have retired from T20Is after India’s 2024 World Cup win and from Tests before the England series earlier this year as well.

Speaking to Sony Sports, Irfan Pathan said, “I had a long chat with him about his future plans. He’s very keen to continue playing. Every player wants that, especially someone like him who has done so well. He’s been a fantastic leader and one of our greatest in white-ball cricket. We all remember the heartbreak of the 2023 World Cup final, especially for him. Those emotions matter, but he still wants to carry on and make his mark going forward.”

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“As long as the players are fit, age doesn’t really matter. The real challenge will be getting enough game time before the 2027 World Cup. There are going to be long gaps in ODI cricket until then—2025 is ongoing, 2026 will come, and then 2027…Playing for India has never been about motivation for players like Rohit, Virat, or Shami—that will always be there. The issue is purely about how much cricket they get to play, especially since they’ve retired from Tests and T20Is. If they manage to stay fit and overcome the challenge of limited game time, I don’t see any reason why they can’t continue until the 2027 World Cup,” he further added.

However, Rohit Sharma led India to the Champions Trophy title earlier this year. Yet, with Shubman Gill emerging as the next big thing and the 2027 World Cup still two years away, there is a possibility that they both won’t be available by then.