As the echoes of the T20 World Cup 2026 celebrations in Ahmedabad begin to fade, the focus of the cricketing world will slowly shift to the ODIs. For India, the triple crown era, marked by three ICC trophies in three years (2024 T20 World Cup, 2025 Champions Trophy and 2026 T20 World Cup) has set an unprecedented benchmark.
The next ICC trophy in the men’s white-ball international cricket is the ODI World Cup 2027. But for fans of the legendary duo, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the question is also about their place in the hunt for it. Across all formats in men’s cricket though, the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle will culminate with the final in June next year.
The Road to Africa: ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027
The next major stop on the ICC calendar is the 2027 Men’s Cricket World Cup. Returning to the African continent for the first time since 2003, the tournament will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in October and November 2027.
Unlike the compact 10-team format of 2023, the 2027 edition will expand to 14 teams, reverting to the Super Sixes format. For India, the goal is clear: to reclaim the 50-over throne that narrowly eluded them in 2023 and to cement this decade as a total blue-wash of world cricket.
Will Virat and Rohit be there in 2027 ODI World Cup?
With both Kohli and Rohit having stepped away from T20Is following the 2024 triumph and later from Test cricket, their international careers are now laser-focused on the 50-over format.
After skipping the T20-heavy start to 2026, the senior duo is expected to return to India colous in June 2026 for the ODI series against Afghanistan.
The Afghanistan series marks the official start of Mission 2027. With nearly 18 months of dedicated ODI preparation ahead, the BCCI’s roadmap centers on managing the workload of these two icons to ensure they reach South Africa in peak physical and mental condition.
By the time the 2027 World Cup arrives, Rohit will be 40 and Kohli 38. While critics point to their age, their performance in the 2025 Champions Trophy proved that their hunger for the big one remains undiminished.
India’s ODI Countdown: The Road Ahead
Before they reach the Highveld of South Africa, India have a packed ODI schedule designed to build a stable middle order around the veteran anchors:
June 2026: vs Afghanistan (Home)
July 2026: vs England (Away)
Late 2026: vs New Zealand (Away) and West Indies (Home)
Other fixtures yet to be confirmed.
While the T20 side belongs to the Suryakumar and his boys, the ODI team still remains the kingdom of the veterans with Shubman Gill at the helm of affairs. The countdown to 2027 has officially begun and for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the story isn’t over, it is just entering its most important chapter.