Rohit Sharma, the veteran Indian batter, has expressed his determination to continue his ODI career with an eye on the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. Speaking to JioStar ahead of India’s upcoming three-match ODI series against the West Indies, Rohit emphasized that he feels he has unfinished business in the 50-over format.
Reflecting on his motivations, Rohit stated, “The thought will never cross my mind that the business I had is finished. As long as you’re playing, there is always something to look forward to. And I’m looking forward to the World Cup, looking at what lies ahead for me.” His commitment to ODI cricket remains strong, even after his recent decisions to step away from Test and T20I formats.
So, you have to prepare differently, think in a different way and that is the challenge,” he added. He is also the only batter to have scored three double-centuries in the format. Because you face different opponents, you play at different venues, “When the World Cup is played, when we play an ICC tournament, it has its own unique challenge,.
Rohit, who has won the ICC T20I World Cup for India twice (2007 and 2024), has never been a part of ODI World Cup winning team. He missed out on lifting the trophy as captain in 2023, when India suffered a defeat against Australia in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The 2027 World Cup, to be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia from October 4 to November 21, will provide Rohit with another opportunity on the global stage. The 39-year-old has now retired from Test and T20I cricket and continues to represent India in ODIs. He has scored 11,895 runs in 288 ODIs, including 34 centuries and 62 fifties, at an average of 48 and a strike rate of 93. Rohit holds the record for the highest individual score in men’s ODI cricket, having made 264 against Sri Lanka in 2014.
