No Rohit Sharma? Sanjay Manjrekar on India's WC 2027 squad
What's the story
Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has sparked a debate over Rohit Sharma's potential spot in India's 2027 ODI World Cup squad. The veteran opener is set to return to action for India in their upcoming three-match ODI series against England, starting July 14 at Edgbaston. Rohit, who is now active in only the 50-over format, recently scored 143 runs at 47.67 in the Afghanistan series.
Focus shift
Manjrekar emphasizes thinking about Indian cricket's future
Manjrekar stressed that the focus should be on the future of Indian cricket, not individual players. "I mean, this will become controversial. But I think I should not care; I have not cared for all these years. We are in mid-2026, and that World Cup is in late 2027," he said on Sony Sports. He added that India have options like Virat Kohli, who is making a strong case with his fitness.
Youthful approach
Invest in younger players, says Manjrekar
Manjrekar also advocated for investing in younger players who can serve the team for many more years. He said, "Opening in 50 overs is fun. It is a rehabilitation program. That, I think, you should give to a player who is in his prime and has got another 5-10 years." He added that if only Rohit is being considered, it's not right, and one must think about Indian cricket's future.
Journey
Reminder of Rohit's ODI prowess
Rohit's fluent 79 (69) against Afghanistan in the Chennai ODI sent a reminder to critics. The former Indian captain recorded scores of 16, 48, and 79 in the three-match ODI series. Rohit has, time and again, shown that he still belongs in India's journey to the 2027 ODI World Cup. According to ESPNcricinfo, his strike rate in ODIs since 2022 has been over 110 (111.67).
Information
India's ODI squad for England series
ODI squad: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), KL Rahul (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, and Gurnoor Brar.