"Rohit Sharma will play in the 2027 ODI World Cup" - Childhood coach Dinesh Lad
Rohit Sharma's childhood coach Dinesh Lad is confident that the veteran batter will be part of the Indian team during the 2027 ODI World Cup. Lal hinted that the ace batter might retire from Tests after the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) cycle to focus on one-dayerODIs.
Rohit led India in the 2023 ODI World Cup on home soil and the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States. While the Men in Blue went down to Australia in the final of the ODI World Cup last year, they broke their ICC title drought by lifting the T20 World Cup earlier this year.
Rohit will be 40 by the time the 2027 ODI World Cup, jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, gets underway. However, his childhood coach believes Rohit could feature in the ICC tournament.
He told Dainik Jagran [as quoted by India Today]:
"Look, I am not saying that Rohit Sharma will announce his retirement after the World Test Championship, maybe he will. Because as his age is increasing, it seems that he may retire from Tests. The reason for this may be that he wants to keep himself fit for ODI cricket. However, I promise 100 percent that Rohit Sharma will play in the 2027 ODI World Cup."
Leading from the front in the 2023 ODI World Cup, Rohit slammed 597 runs in 11 innings, averaging 54.27 at a strike rate of 125.95. He was the second-leading run-getter in the tournament after Virat Kohli (765).
Rohit recently opened up about his T20I retirement
The veteran Indian cricketer announced his retirement from T20Is after leading the Men in Blue to victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup. During an interview on Fittr's YouTube channel, Rohit backed his decision to quit the format, asserting that it was the perfect time for him to move on.
"The only reason I retired from T20Is was because I've had my time. I enjoyed playing the format. I played for 17 years, and I did well. When you win the World Cup, this is the best time for you to move on," the 37-year-old explained.
Under the Mumbai cricketer's leadership, India recently beat Bangladesh 2-0 in a Test series at home. He will next be seen captaining the team in a three-match Test series against New Zealand, which begins on October 16.