'There's No Substitute': Ravi Shastri Doesn't Mince Words, Gives Honest Take On Rohit Sharma And Virat Kohli's Chances Of Playing 2027 World Cup

Shubman Gill-led India will travel to Australia for a three-match ODI series. India's tour to Australia will feature a total of eight white-ball games (3 ODIs and 5 T20Is). The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently named Shubman Gill as India's next ODI captain and it attracted mixed reactions from the fans and experts of the game.

When the ODI series against Australia starts, all eyes will be fixated on star Indian duo, former captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who are returning to play international cricket after seven months.

Ravi Shastri Gives His Take On Rohit Sharma And Virat Kohli's ODI Future

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's future in international cricket continues to remain under the scanner. The star duo retired from T20Is in 2024 and parted ways with Test cricket earlier this year during the Indian Premier League (IPL). Rohit had led India to a Champions Trophy earlier this year and Virat Kohli was also an integral part of that squad.

Former India player and coach Ravi Shastri feels that both Virat and Rohit will know by the end of their series if they want to play the upcoming World Cup or not. The upcoming 2027 ODI World Cup is two years away and age is one of the biggest factors that will come in the way of their aspirations to compete for cricket's biggest prize.

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"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. So, I think this series is very important to see how they go. They themselves will know by the end of this series how they feel and then it's their call. There's no substitute for experience when it comes to the big games, as we saw in the Champions Trophy. Come the big games and the big boys step up," said Shastri while speaking to reporters in Sydney.

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Rohit Sharma Shocks Fans With Physical Transformation

Despite being one of the greatest white-ball players of all time, Rohit Sharma's fitness is something that has been talked about for a very long period of time. While attending the CEAT Cricket Awards a few days back, Rohit Sharma shocked his fans with his leaner look. The former India skipper has lost a lot of weight and he looks all set to dominate Australia in their backyard.