Rohit Sharma has made it clear that his ODI journey is far from over, with the veteran India batter setting his sights on the 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup as he prepares for the next phase of his career in the 50-over format.
Having retired from Test and T20I cricket, the 39-year-old now plays internationally only in ODIs. Ahead of India's three-match ODI series against the West Indies, Rohit said the prospect of another World Cup continues to drive him.
Also Read: 1st ODI: India eye game-time for young names, Ro-Ko readiness against West Indies
"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," Rohit said, as per JioStar.
For Rohit, the appeal of another World Cup also lies in the demands of an ICC tournament, where changing opponents and conditions require teams to constantly adapt.
"When the World Cup is played, when we play an ICC tournament, it has its own unique challenge, because you face different opponents, you play at different venues. So, you have to prepare differently, think in a different way and that is the challenge," he added.
The 2027 ODI World Cup is scheduled to be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia from October 4 to November 21.
An ODI World Cup title is one of the major trophies Rohit has yet to win during his international career. He was part of India's T20 World Cup-winning teams in 2007 and 2024, captaining the side to the latter title.
India came close to adding the ODI crown under Rohit in 2023, going unbeaten until the final before losing to Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Rohit has since stepped away from both Tests and T20Is but remains part of India's ODI plans. He has scored 11,895 runs in 288 ODIs, with 34 centuries and 62 half-centuries, at an average of 48 and a strike rate of 93.
He also holds the record for the highest individual score in men's ODI cricket, having smashed 264 against Sri Lanka in 2014, and remains the only batter to have registered three double-centuries in the format.
India's build-up towards the 2027 tournament continues with the three-match ODI series against the West Indies, beginning at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.
The second ODI is scheduled to be played in Guwahati on September 30, with the final match 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 before facing Zimbabwe in a three-match ODI series at the beginning of 2027.
India's squad for the West Indies series is led by Shubman Gill, with KL Rahul named vice-captain. The squad also includes Rohit, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Mohammed Siraj, Auqib Nabi, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Naman Dhir.
With inputs from agencies
