2 min readMay 21, 2026 06:31 PM IST
Former World Cup winning Australia captain Ricky Ponting said that India stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are champion players and they should never be written off on the road to the 2027 ODI World Cup. Both Kohli and Rohit have retired from T20s and Tests and are currently only playing 50-overs cricket as well as in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).
“I can see them pushing ahead and trying to get there. One thing I’ve always said about champion players is you never say no. You never write them off. Virat’s been a good example of that again through this IPL. He’s not playing as much international cricket as he once was, but that determination and want to win is still there. Rohit Sharma has turned up at this IPL in better physical condition than I’ve seen him probably in about 10 or 12 years. So the passion is still there for those guys to push on and make themselves the best players they can be. So like I said, you never say never,” Ponting said to PTI.
With 542 runs in 13 games including a hundred, Kohli is among the leading run getters in the tournament. Since his comeback from hamstring injury, Rohit has been featuring in the Mumbai Indians side as an impact player. In eight games, he has made 283 runs including two half centuries. Both Kohli and Rohit have been batting at a strike rate of 160 plus.
On Tuesday, Kohli and Rohit were named in India’s squad for the three match series against Afghanistan beginning on June 14. Rohit was included in the squad subject to fitness as he has had an issue with his hamstring.
The Indian team selectors will take a call on their selection for the ODI World Cup closer to the competition, considering their fitness and form at the time.
