Rohit Sharma has resumed training after a break, eyeing the 2027 World Cup. After clearing fitness tests, he’s prepping for the Australia ODI series, but his World Cup spot is uncertain as the BCCI considers transitioning to younger players.
Team India ODI captain and veteran batter Rohit Sharma has shut down the retirement rumours once and for all as he began his training ahead of his comeback in the ODI series against Australia, which will begin on October 19. The 38-year-old has not played any competitive cricket since the Mumbai Indians’ Qualifier 2 defeat to eventual runner-up Punjab Kings in Ahmedabad in June.
Amid the IPL 2025, Rohit Sharma pulled the curtains down on his Test career after he was sacked from captaincy duties in May, following India’s series defeat to New Zealand and Australia, coupled with his poor form over the past year. Rohit already retired from the T20Is after leading the Men in Blue to the T20 World Cup triumph last year, defeating South Africa in the final.
Having retired from T20Is and Tests, Rohit Sharma will now only feature in the ODI format, where he hopes to extend his career, with the 2027 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, being his ultimate target before hanging up his boots.
Rohit Sharma returns to training after the break
Following the conclusion of the Mumbai Indians’ campaign in IPL 2025, Rohit Sharma went for a short vacation with his family before working on his fitness with the supervision of his former Mumbai teammate and trusted aide, Abhishek Nayar.
With just a month left for the Australia ODI series to kickstart, the veteran Indian batter has returned to the nets, honing his batting rhythm and match sharpness to be fully prepared for the ODI leg of the Australia tour. In a video that went viral on social media, the 38-year-old can be seen sharpening his batting skills ahead of his much-anticipated ODI comeback.
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Recently, Rohit Sharma underwent mandatory fitness tests at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru earlier this month and successfully cleared them, demonstrating that he is fully fit and ready for the upcoming series, including the tour of Australia.
Earlier, it was reported that Rohit Sharma will look to prepare for the Australia ODI series by playing for India A in an unofficial ODI series against Australia A, which will begin on September 16 at Green Park Cricket Stadium in Kanpur. However, it was not confirmed by Rohit or the BCCI whether he will actually feature in the India A matches.
Will Rohit Sharma play the ODI World Cup 2027?
Rohit Sharma will look to remove the stains of heartbreaking defeat to Australia in the 2023 ODI World Cup and aims to lead India to glory in the 2027 edition of the prestigious tournament. Since the 50-over marquee event is two years away, a lot will be taken into consideration from his upcoming performances in the build-up to the ODI World Cup.
The Men in Blue will play a total of 27 ODI matches in the lead-up to the 2027 World Cup, with series against teams like Bangladesh, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and England. Rohit Sharma’s form and fitness will be closely monitored in these series to ensure he peaks at the World Cup. Though Rohit expressed his desire to play the tournament, his place in the squad is uncertain as the BCCI is reportedly looking to transition to younger players for the World Cup.
After losing the Test captaincy, Rohit Sharma is likely to be removed as ODI captain as the BCCI is reportedly looking to hand over the captaincy baton to Shreyas Iyer or Shubman Gill, who is already ODI vice-captain. It remains to be seen whether Rohit fits in BCCI’s plans for the World Cup squad.
In his ODI career, Rohit Sharma has amassed 11168 runs, including 29 centuries, 3 double centuries, and 58 fifties, at an average of 48.76 in 273 matches.