BCCI president Mithun Manhas said age is not a factor for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s selection in the 2027 ODI World Cup squad. “Fitness and performance should be the criteria for selection, definitely not age,” he said. Both veterans will be judged solely on their form and physical fitness.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be judged on their fitness and performance ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup, not their age, BCCI president Mithun Manhas has said ahead of India's tour of New Zealand.
In an interview with Sportstar, Manhas indicated that selection for the World Cup would depend on the two senior batters continuing to perform. The quadrennial tournament will be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in October and November next year.
The two veteran Indian cricketers, who retired from T20I and Test cricket in the last 24 months, are hoping to play one last ODI World Cup, having been part of the Indian team that lost the final of the previous edition.
“From my perspective, fitness and performance should be the criteria for selection, definitely not age. If someone is fit to play, performing well and winning games for the country, that should be the only criterion we focus on,” Manhas said.
HOW OLD WILL ROHIT AND VIRAT BE DURING WC?
Rohit Sharma will turn 40 in April 2027, while Virat Kohli will be 38 during the World Cup. Questions have naturally been raised by former cricketers and fans about India's transition plans and the roles the two senior players will play in the coming years.
During chief selector Ajit Agarkar's tenure, the transition was carried out with precision, with Rohit, Virat and Ravindra Jadeja retiring from T20Is after India's victorious 2024 T20 World Cup campaign. Rohit and Virat subsequently retired from Test cricket in 2025.
There was heavy speculation about Rohit Sharma's retirement amid poor ODI form, but his century at Lord's allayed those concerns, just about. Virat on the other hand has enjoyed his time and role in the ODIs, raking up runs at a Bradman-esque average in the format.
Manhas also spoke about how the presence of Rohit and Virat could help Shubman Gill develop as a captain, drawing parallels with how Virat learnt under MS Dhoni and Dhoni had the guidance of Sourav Ganguly.
“Shubman has been the captain of Gujarat Titans for two or three years now, apart from leading India. I think that experience will come in handy when he begins his World Cup campaign. Having Virat, Hardik (Pandya) and Rohit in the side will definitely help him. Then there are the likes of (Jasprit) Bumrah, who could take charge as the bowling captain, while someone else could lead the fielding unit. So, it is all about distributing the workload. It will be interesting to see how things unfold. But Shubman is a level-headed guy, and I think having the seniors around him will be an advantage,” Manhas said.
India are set to begin a multi-format tour of New Zealand on October 22, featuring five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests. The ODI series will be played from November 4 to 15, putting Kohli and Rohit in focus as India continue their preparations for the 2027 World Cup.