"Ro-Ko should play the 50-over World Cup" - Former Team India star makes big statement on Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma’s ODI future

Former cricketer Suresh Raina believes Team India's senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli should play in the 2027 ODI World Cup. The two ace batters remain active in just one international format, ODIs, having already retired from T20Is and Tests.

Raina opined that the selectors should give the two seasoned campaigners a chance for the showpiece event. He pointed out that Sharma also deserves to be part of a 50-over World Cup-winning squad, a feat Virat Kohli achieved in 2011.

The 38-year-old also reckoned that Sharma should continue as the ODI captain for the 2027 World Cup. Speaking in an interview on Shubhankar Mishra's YouTube channel, the Indian cricketer-turned-commentator said (at 56:00)

"Ro-Ko should play the 50-over World Cup because they won Champions Trophy. They have a lot of experience and you know Rohit will play domestics; he is even practicing. All depends on the selectors what team they are forming.

"I would give once chance to Rohit as captain and Virat Kohli both should play the 50-over World Cup. Virat won in 2011 when we won. Rohit should also win one title. I think they will give them chance."

It is worth noting that both Kohli and Sharma's last appearance in international cricket came during the 2025 Champions Trophy. Under Sharma's captaincy, the Men in Blue had a successful campaign, ending a 12-year ICC ODI trophy drought.

Kohli was India's second-highest run-scorer in the tournament, amassing 218 runs across five innings at an average of 54.50. Sharma, on the other hand, finished with an average of 36.00, scoring 180 runs from five outings.

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"I see him as a glimpse of MS Dhoni in him" - Suresh Raina names Team India star who should succeed Rohit Sharma as the ODI captain

Suresh Raina picked talismanic all-rounder Hardik Pandya as a deserving candidate for Team India's ODI captaincy after Rohit Sharma's retirement. He remarked that he had seen a glimpse of accomplished leader MS Dhoni in Hardik.

While Raina suggested that Shubman Gill could also have a successful stint, he hoped to see Hardik back in the white-ball captaincy race. The 2011 World Cup-winner said in the same interview (at 53:00):

"Shubman Gill any day, the way they decide but I think Hardik Pandya will do a lot of miracles in white-ball cricket as a captain. Even Shubman Gill can be that guy. Hopefully, he [Hardik] should become captain again. He has experience like Kapil Paji whether it’s batting, bowling or fielding.

"And he’s a very very positive guy. The way he has performed, he is a captain for the players. I see him as a glimpse of MS Dhoni in him, the way he interact and conduct on the ground, the energy, I like the most," he added.

Hardik was India's vice-captain during their 2024 T20 World Cup triumph. He was touted as Sharma's successor in white-ball cricket. However, he was later sidelined, and Suryakumar Yadav was named as the new T20I skipper after the showpiece event.