"Don't see any reason why he won't play" - Salman Butt on Virat Kohli's chances of featuring in 2027 ODI World Cup
Former Pakistan opener Saman Butt has backed Team India's star batter Virat Kohli to play in the 2027 ODI World Cup. He suggested that, given his supreme fitness, the seasoned campaigner could still be part of the national team in his late 30s.
Kohli will be 39 years old during the next edition of the ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. In a video uploaded on his YouTube channel, Butt said:
"With how fit Virat Kohli is and the dedication with which he plays, I don't see any reason why he won't play for another four years. With his fitness and intensity, he can surely play even when he is 38 years old."
Legendary Indian batter Sachin Tendulkar was 37 when he played in the 2011 World Cup at home.
Virat Kohli came very close to winning his second World Cup trophy, as the Men in Blue reached the final of the 2023 edition after 10 successive victories. However, their dream run came to a heartbreaking end with a six-wicket defeat to Australia in the all-important final.
With 765 runs in 11 innings, Kohli finished as the leading run-getter of the competition and was also named Player of the Tournament.
"Maybe he feels he should now concentrate more on Tests and ODIs" - Salman Butt on Rohit Sharma's T20I future
Rohit Sharma has not featured in India's T20I team since the team's semi-final loss to England at the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Salman Butt opined that at this stage of his career, the opener might be keen to focus on the longer formats. Butt, however, pointed out that Sharma could still be very effective in the T20 format. He added:
"Rohit Sharma cannot be compared to any other player. However, after spending a lot of time in international cricket, maybe he feels he should now concentrate more on Tests and ODIs. There is a lot of hustle and bustle in T20 cricket. However, a player like him would not have much trouble, as this format is a lot easier than Tests and ODIs"
Sharma dazzled viewers with his aggressive batting at the 2023 World Cup, scoring 597 runs at a strike rate of 125.94 His batting exploits in ODI cricket could tempt the national selectors to try and coax him for a return ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup.