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India beat South Africa in the opening ODI in Ranchi on Sunday, thanks largely to Virat Kohli’s 135 from 120 balls – his 52nd one-day hundred – and a fluent 57 from Rohit Sharma. The pair shared 136, their second straight century partnership after the unbeaten 168 against Australia in Sydney last month.
“I don’t know why we need to look at all this – he’s really batting well, and I don’t see any reason we need to talk about his future,” India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said when asked, again, whether Kohli will still be around for the 2027 World Cup. “Just the way he’s batting, it’s just brilliant. The way he’s performing, [and] his fitness – there are no questions about anything.”
At 37, Kohli has stepped back from Tests and T20Is to focus on the 50-over game. Rohit, 38, has taken a similar path. Limited international fixtures inevitably lead to questions about longevity, yet Kotak sounded weary of the topic. “I feel such things [the 2027 World Cup] shouldn’t even be spoken about after the way he plays and performs. That is something which is two years away. There’s no point talking about all this. For us, once the team arrives and we start practice, we just enjoy.”
Kohli’s latest hundred, built on calm rotation and bursts of aggression – 11 fours, three sixes – shepherded India past South Africa’s 280 with five overs spare. Rohit’s run-a-ball 57 set the tone, the skipper continuing a purple patch that also includes 73 and 121* in his previous two ODI knocks.
Kotak stressed the broader value of the pair. “Obviously, they do share their experience with others,” he noted. “I don’t think we’re talking anything about the 2027 World Cup. They are just brilliant, and they are performing. They are contributing to the team, which is a great thing for us.”
Numbers underline the point. Kohli averages 61 in ODIs since the start of last year; Rohit, scoring at better than a run a ball, sits only marginally lower. Their presence settles the dressing-room, even when younger batters are still feeling their way.
“They are such experienced players; it’s always great to have them,” Kotak added. “The way they bat – like today also, that partnership – it makes a huge difference. Obviously, they batted really well.”
For now, that seems to be all Kotak wants discussed: the runs, the partnerships, the influence. The next match of the three-game series is in Indore on Wednesday. Kohli and Rohit will walk out again, and the rest – two years, or more – can wait.
