Indian cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir held a press conference on Monday, July 22 before leaving for the Sri Lanka tour. During this, he was also asked questions about the future of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma and he made it clear that if both these players remain fit, then they can play the 2027 World Cup.

Gambhir said that Rohit and Kohli will be the best in the Champions Trophy and in Australia Test SeriesGambhir will be determined to give his best for the team and has kept the door open for them to play beyond the 2025 season as well. “I think they have shown what they can do on the big stage, be it the T20 World Cup or the 50-over World Cup. One thing I can say very clearly is that both those players have a lot of cricket left in them. And most importantly, with the Champions Trophy coming up and the big tour of Australia, they will be motivated enough. Then hopefully, if they can maintain their fitness, the 2027 World Cup is there for them,” Gambhir said.

He further said, “This is a very personal decision. I cannot say how much cricket is left in them. Ultimately, it depends on them. It depends on the players how much they can contribute to the team's success. Ultimately, it is the team that is important. Looking at what Virat and Rohit can do, they have a lot of cricket left. They are still world class. Any team would want to keep both of them for as long as possible.”

Let us tell you that after winning the T20 World Cup in Barbados last month, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired from T20 International cricket. Both the players will remain part of the ODI and Test team. Gambhir also stressed that Kohli and Rohit will play most of India's important matches in ODIs and Tests from now on, highlighting that they can manage their workload better as they are playing only two formats at the highest level. 37-year-old Rohit will be 41 during the ODI World Cup in 2027 while Kohli will be 38 then. India have retained Rohit Sharma as ODI and Test captain, while Suryakumar Yadav was made the T20 captain last week.