Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli Poised for Success in Australia: Why the Road to World Cup 2027 Looks Clearer Than Ever

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli Poised for Success in Australia: There has never been, nor will there ever be, a small ODI Cricket World Cup because they are just a bit more important than every other one. Of all the different kinds of World Cups coming up, the one to be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia in 2027 will probably be the most significant for an Indian team that is about to lose two batsmen who are among the greatest of all time. Of course, the transition of power from the great Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to Shubman Gill has already occured, with Gill taking over the captaincy of the 50-over team; however, Gill still seems stuck between titans, as both Sharma and Kohli are prepared for what they know will be their last World Cup in 2027.

Of course, this is if the pair of batters, both now in their late 30's, even make it through to the World Cup. In any event, age is not on their side, and they have been told bluntly by BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar that their position now is 'merit based.' There is little need to read between the lines to understand the implied threat they can be expecting - 'perform or you're out.'

Although the RoKo duo have not played T20I or Test cricket for the last 15 months, they are better suited to the 50-over format, and this, more than any of the other formats, is their best. If you had to bet on it, Rohit and Virat will be part of the journey of Indian cricket when the time for avenging 2023 takes place in South Africa. The first baby step of that journey will be their much-anticipated three-ODI series against Australia, but, in the next 15-18 months of international cricket, India will tour half of the SENA countries to play ODI series, all of which will be critical to assisting this powerhouse Team India in preparing for the conditions they could expect in South Africa.

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Virat and Rohit have good numbers vs Australia

This will be a good first series in terms of Rohit and Kohli finding and being in the groove of international cricket, particularly against an Australian team that is rebuilding a little but still has a few world-beaters in their ranks. Rohit and Kohli enjoy to bat against Australia, evidenced by each player having 8 ODI centuries against those opponents, and looking at their averages of Kohli 54 and Rohit 57.

Certainly, their performances on home soil in Australia demonstrate their quality as batters. Against Australia in Australia, Kohli has scored just under an average of 48 with three centuries; it's nothing compared to what we know is his best. Rohit is completely different: he averages 58 - and he has scored four centuries - and he enjoys the pace and bounce of the Australian surface coming onto the bat.

But remember, it has been 5 years since Kohli last played an ODI in Australia, and it's been 6 years since Rohit last played one: these numbers were produced when these players were at their peak, but there has been a dearth of ODI cricket in the previous years and they had to wait to have the opportunity to play 50 over cricket again in Australia.

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2023 shows RoKo still have the capacity to be stars

That is not to say that the pair don't remain dangerous batters - they are only two years removed from a 2023 where they played a lot of ODI cricket and once again lit up cricket, though in completely different ways. Rohit donned his new mould as a dashing aggressive opener, plundering 1255 runs at a strike rate of 117.

All of this is to illustrate that even as they struggled in Tests, even while newly minted T20 cricketers, who have become the face of cricket in India, moved in on them, it is still the format that they gazed upon as the culmination of their craft that still sat perfectly in their wheelhouse. The Maz (Rohit) and the Kloppo (Virat) still had what it took to transfer impact and volume at the start and number three, and those are not yet the abilities of many other competent cricketers throughout the country.

What's next for Rohit-Virat and the Indian ODI team?

The three-match series in Australia should just be chapter one in what can now be called confidently as the beginning of India's road to the "2027 ODI World Cup." Next year, they will also visit England, New Zealand, and Bangladesh, and thereafter host some very dangerous home-side teams to the country.

It is a total of 27 ODIs scheduled for the next 15 months. That isn't too many but will still offer enough time for Kohli and Rohit to stay competitive and even find some ball-time.

Let's not forget too that there is a lot of cricket to come in 2027. The World Cup is scheduled for October-November of that year, and the calendar for the first half of the year is still to be decided. But there will be plenty of cricket, potentially a home ODI series against Australia, and a warm-up tour of South Africa too.

Kohli and Rohit have not entertained any talk of retirement — they have been given the opportunity to put in the hard work. It would be a foolhardy person who would bet against the two greats of the game firing and then going to the World Cup.

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