Reports: Rohit Sharma Unlikely for 2027 ODI World Cup, Farewell Series in Australia on Cards
Rohit Sharma may retire from ODIs before the 2027 World Cup, with India’s October 2025 series in Australia expected to be his farewell.
Rohit Sharma is reportedly unlikely to feature in the 2027 ODI World Cup, with India’s October 2025 tour of Australia expected to mark his final appearances in the 50-over format. The three-match series, scheduled for October 19, 23, and 25, could serve as a farewell for one of India’s greatest white-ball batters.
Alongside Virat Kohli, Rohit has been the backbone of India’s ODI batting for over a decade. But with Rohit set to turn 40 by the time of the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, fitness and workload concerns have prompted the team management to shift focus toward grooming the next generation.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir and selectors see the transition as part of a long-term plan, with Shubman Gill currently India’s Test captain and Asia Cup vice-captain the frontrunner to succeed Rohit as ODI skipper.
Reports suggest both Rohit and Kohli may announce their ODI futures before the Australia series begins. Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has already stated he does not expect either to feature in the 2027 World Cup.
“They have been massive performers in this format of the game. Again, the selection committee will probably be looking at the 2027 World Cup. They will be looking at ‘will they be able to be in the team for the 2027 World Cup? Will they be able to make the kind of contributions they have been making?’. That will be the thought process of the selection committee. If the selection committee thinks ‘yes, they can’, then both of them will be there for that,” Gavaskar told Sports Today.
“No, I don’t think they will be playing. I am being very honest. But, who knows, in the next year or so, if they strike a rich vein of form, and if they keep scoring hundreds and hundreds, even God can’t drop them,” Gavaskar added.
Rohit leaves behind a formidable ODI record: 11,168 runs in 273 matches at an average of 48.76, with 32 centuries, 58 fifties, and an unmatched three double centuries. Most recently, he captained India to the 2025 Champions Trophy title in Dubai.
If confirmed, the Australia series will be remembered as the final chapter of a glittering ODI journey that reshaped India’s batting legacy.
