The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning a meeting with coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar to discuss the 2027 World Cup potential of former captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. According to media reports, this meeting could take place soon in Visakhapatnam, the venue for the third ODI against South Africa. Neither star has yet made any specifics about their participation in the 2027 World Cup.
What will be the topic of the meeting
A board source said to media, “Players of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s caliber need to be given clarity about what’s expected of them and what the current management thinks of them and their roles. Neither can play with any uncertainty.”
The source also said, “The board has asked Rohit to ignore speculation and focus solely on his fitness and performance.” Both veterans were part of the recent series against Australia. While Rohit was named Player of the Series with 202 runs, Virat scored 74 runs after scoring ducks in the first two matches.
The source said, “Kohli scored runs in the third ODI, but we had already lost the series. And the bowlers made it in the first innings. Kohli looked rusty in both the opening matches. This picture cannot be tolerated in every series.” He further said, “It is expected that Rohit will lead by example and bat fearlessly at the top of the order. The conditions in Australia were difficult, but it seemed that he was ignoring the risk. Both the veterans are expected to lead the batting and make the path easier for the remaining young batsmen.”
Both veterans will be allowed to participate in the Vijay Hazare Trophy next month. Following the three-match ODI series against South Africa, India will play another ODI series against New Zealand in January. Their next ODI series will then be against England in July.