Rohit Sharma Shockingly Refuses To Confirm Himself For ODI World Cup 2027

Rohit Sharma breaks silence on 2027 World Cup dream [Source: AFP]In a shocking development, veteran Indian opener Rohit Sharma refused to confirm his availability for the upcoming ODI World Cup 2027, which is scheduled to be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. This comes amid rumours of his ODI retirement.Rohit, 39, is still actively playing ODI cricket despite retiring from the Test and T20I formats. The sole reason behind his continuity in the 50-over format was believed to be his commitment to the 2027 World Cup. However, his recent comments have caused a stir.Rohit Sharma doubtful for World Cup 2027Recently, Rohit Sharma attended an event in Mumbai, and during the audience engagement segment, he was asked to reveal his plans for the ICC ODI World Cup 2027.Shockingly, Rohit refused to confirm his participation, saying the tournament is far away and he can’t commit to anything for the time being."October 2027 is far away, we will see about it then," Rohit responded to the audience member’s question.This is a huge statement from the ex-captain, especially at a time when rumours of his ODI retirement are rife. If he does not intend to feature in the World Cup, the selectors may not continue to back him, as time is running out to finalise a squad.Also Read - Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma In 2027 World Cup Squad No Guarantee, Says BCCI Vice PresidentWhat did the BCCI say on Rohit Sharma’s future?Before the England series, Rohit Sharma repeatedly said that he wanted to play the World Cup 2027 for India. But during the last ODI at Lord’s, rumours circulated that the opener would retire upon request from the BCCI.Apparently, the board and selectors didn’t want to back him for the big ICC tournament and told him to retire. But instead, Rohit slammed a hundred in the Lord’s game and lived to see another day.Recently, the BCCI held a review meeting where Rohit’s future was reportedly discussed. After the key meeting, board secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed that Rohit Sharma is not going anywhere.He is performing well, and hence there is no question over his future in the ODI format. Saikia also added that he doesn’t want to fuel the speculations around the opener’s retirement. It essentially seems that the BCCI are still keen on having Rohit around for the 2027 World Cup. But whether the 39-year-old wants to carry the torch that long remains to be seen.Who will replace Rohit Sharma?Having said that, in a scenario where Rohit Sharma retires from international cricket before the 2027 World Cup, Team India will have to look for alternatives to fill his shoes.Rohit has been India’s explosive and consistent opener for over a decade. While replacing him wouldn’t be an easy task, India does have a wide pool of credible options to choose from.For starters, Yashasvi Jaiswal is a perfect like-for-like replacement. He is aggressive and can power-hit as well. In 6 ODIs so far, Jaiswal has maintained an impressive average of 71.25.Apart from Jaiswal, India can opt for either Ishan Kishan or Devdutt Padikkal. Kishan is again a solid aggressor who can play a long innings. In 9 games as an opener in ODIs, he has batted at a strike rate of 121.92.As for Padikkal, he is a technically sound batter. In List A cricket, he has an average of 82.23. Devdutt is also flexible, as he can open as well as adjust in the middle order.So overall, India are not short on options if Rohit Sharma does end up hanging up his boots before 2027.Also Read - Indian Players Whose Test Selection Is In Doubt After Duleep Trophy Failure