Rohit Sharma says he still has goals to pursue in one-day international cricket and is preparing for the possibility of playing in the 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup. The veteran batter continues to represent India in ODIs after retiring from Test and T20I cricket.
Speaking ahead of India's three-match ODI series against the West Indies, Rohit said his motivation had not diminished and that continuing to play always brought new challenges.
“I never think that the business I had is finished. As long as you are playing, there is always something to look forward to. I am looking forward to the World Cup and seeing what lies ahead for me,” Rohit said.
He added that an ICC tournament demands a different approach because teams encounter varied opponents and playing conditions at multiple venues. According to Rohit, players need to prepare and think differently for such competitions.
Rohit has won the ICC T20I World Cup twice with India, in 2007 and 2024, but has not been part of an ODI World Cup-winning team. As captain, he came close in 2023 before India lost the final to Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The 2027 World Cup will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia from October 4 to November 21, giving Rohit another opportunity to compete for the sport's biggest 50-over title.
The 39-year-old has accumulated 11,895 runs in 288 ODIs, including 34 centuries and 62 fifties. He has maintained an average of 48 and a strike rate of 93 in the format.
Rohit holds the men's ODI record for the highest individual score, having made 264 against Sri Lanka in 2014. He is also the only batter to have registered three double-centuries in ODI cricket.
India's preparations for the 2027 World Cup will begin with the West Indies series. The opening ODI is scheduled at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, with the second match in Guwahati on September 30 and the third in New Chandigarh on October 3.
India are also scheduled to play five ODIs in New Zealand and three against Sri Lanka later this year. A three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe is planned for the beginning of 2027.
India ODI squad for West Indies series
Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul (vice-captain), Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Mohammed Siraj, Auqib Nabi, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Naman Dhir have been named in India's ODI squad.
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