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R Ashwin can’t see any obvious barrier that would stop Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma turning out for India at the 2027 men’s 50-over World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. The former off-spinner believes the decision will come down to fitness, form and – just as importantly – the “good energy” that exists between senior players and those running the side.
“Till you have experienced cricketers like Virat and Rohit, going for an away World Cup, you should extract as much experience as you can from those,” Ashwin said during a video chat with ESPNcricinfo earlier this week.
Key points first
• Kohli will be 39 when the next World Cup begins; Rohit will have turned 40.
• Both have already walked away from T20Is (2024) and Tests (2025).
• Since the start of 2025 they sit first and second on India’s ODI run charts.
• India are due to play 20 more ODIs before the tournament, starting with Afghanistan this weekend.
A marriage of needs
Ashwin described the selection equation as “like a marriage”, adding: “In my experience of how these things pan out, it’s pretty straightforward: if the management wants both of them at the 50-over World Cup in South Africa, and if there is enough energy around it, it’s very much possible to keep them on the park and utilise their experience.”
He warned, though, that uncertainty from above could unsettle even the most seasoned player. “But if there is a thinking that it might steer the other way, the players will be under duress.”
Managing ageing bodies
Kohli and Rohit have each battled hamstring problems in the past fortnight – Kohli’s has already ruled him out of the Afghanistan series, while Rohit re-joined the squad only after proving his fitness. Ashwin, mindful of the physical challenges that come with age, said the outlook is still positive if a bespoke conditioning plan sits in place.
“And forgive me, I’m no specialist, I’m no medico scientist, I can’t say this with utmost authority, [but if] there is a proper rehab programme, and there is something that’s constructed around what they want to do, and if there is good vibes from the other half, the players will manage to make it.
“But if there is any sediment of doubt that’s trusted upon them, the players are going to find it harder because at this age, injuries are par for the course. The body is not the same as it was when it was 35 and below; it’s not the same when you cross 32 itself. So [at] every stage you need to adapt. And with that in place, it is like a marriage, both of them bring something to the table.”
Numbers still stack up
The batting returns back up Ashwin’s optimism. Since January 2025 Kohli has piled on 891 ODI runs at 68.53, with four hundreds and five fifties. Rohit, often used slightly lower down the order, has 711 runs at 44.43, including two centuries. Those figures are comfortably higher than India’s next-best in the same period.
What the selectors will weigh
1. Match workload: India have limited overs tours to Sri Lanka and New Zealand, plus an Asia Cup and Champions Trophy, before the cut-off date.
2. Leadership void: both men handed over white-ball captaincy in 2025 but remain natural tactical sounding boards for Hardik Pandya, the current ODI skipper.
3. Bench strength: Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad head a younger pool pushing for top-order slots.
Ashwin feels experience still trumps raw promise in a global tournament staged away from home. “The management and the selectors will have to want them being there, [and will] want the best interest in their minds for these players to be able to get there. And from the players’ side, when they see that from the management, they would put double the hard work than they would otherwise.”
A simple conclusion
“So I think it’s a bit of a give and take. I think good energy from both sides is very critical for both of them to make it happen to get to the 2027 50-over World Cup. And having said that, I see no reason why they mustn’t be there. They make your team definitely stronger with their presence and their experience of those conditions.”
India’s coaching group, now led by Gautam Gambhir, will meet selectors next month to map out a roster for those 20 ODIs. If Ashwin’s reading proves right, the door to one more World Cup remains wide open for Kohli and Rohit – provided both sides of the “marriage” keep talking.
