SYDNEY: Former India coach Ravi Shastri believes the upcoming ODI series in Australia will be an important challenge for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's quest to play another World Cup, saying the veteran duo need a big series against Australia to solidify their spots for the mega spectacle in 2027.
Kohli and Rohit, who have now retired from Tests and T20Is, were named in India’s squad for the ODI series against Australia, starting from October 19 in Perth. They will join the squad before flying to Australia on October 15, for a three-game series starting four days later in Perth.
With the ODI World Cup still two years away and the recent form of Kohli, 36, and Sharma, 38, having been well below their lofty best, uncertainty looms over their future beyond.
At the Summer of Cricket launch in Sydney on Monday, reporters asked Shastri whether he expected the duo to be in contention for a potential swansong in 24 months' time, he replied, "That's why they're here (playing the ODI series against Australia). They're part of the mix. It depends on their fitness, their hunger and, of course, form."