Former South Africa batter Daryll Cullinan has shared that the duo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are required to play a high level of cricket, keeping the 2027 ODI World Cup in mind. The veteran also felt that if both players were unable to play a lot of cricket to keep themselves match fit, then the management should consider moving on from them as well.

Cullinan told Hindustan Times: “Well, I think from an ability and experience point of view, they could play, I don’t think there’s any doubt in that, but they’d have to be on the ground of international cricket. If I were the coach or convener of selectors, because no matter how good you are, thinking that you can just play a few games or select a few games, not put in the hours and then step in and think you’re going to perform, no, that doesn’t work that way”.

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“So it’s a bit of a catch-22, I’m not saying they need to be on the circuit all the time, but they need to have played a serious amount of cricket, especially going into the World Cup, so they’re in the right physical, mental frame of mind, the grind of international cricket, being fit, then I would say yes, but anything less than that I’d say no, India move on, because that certainly doesn’t work, and that’s in my view. They need to be playing quality cricket for the next two years! Far more cricket than less cricket,” he shared.

However, Shubman Gill will begin his tenure as India’s new T20I vice-captain at the Asia Cup 2025 as well, which starts on September 9. Former South Africa batter Daryll Cullinan also felt that the time had come for Gill to take over the captaincy reins in ODI cricket as well.

“Yes, Gill for captaincy, irrespective of whether Rohit is playing,” Daryll Cullinan concluded.