Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were set to resume their preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup in mid-June with the home series against Afghanistan. Towards the end of 2025, when they returned to international cricket after a hiatus, they silenced the noise around whether they still belonged on the biggest stage. Despite the accolades and a mountain of records behind them, Rohit and Kohli were far from guaranteed spots in India’s long-term plans. Neither the selectors nor head coach Gautam Gambhir were willing to commit to them being part of the 2027 World Cup setup.
Through the series against Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, Kohli and Rohit let their bats do the talking. The former scored 616 runs in nine innings — the most by an Indian during that period — with three centuries, three fifties and a Player of the Series award. Rohit finished second with 409 runs, including a century, three fifties and a Player of the Series award of his own.
With doubts still lingering, both batters went a step further by turning up in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. They marked their return with centuries in their comeback matches.
ALSO READ: Inside Suryakumar Yadav’s decline: The numbers that changed India’s captaincy conversation
There was still silence.
But that was as much as they could have done then. With focus shifting to the T20 World Cup and then the IPL, ODI cricket took a back seat until now. With the 50-over World Cup just over a year away, Kohli and Rohit hoped to resume their preparations and strengthen their case as the international calendar returned with Afghanistan’s tour of India, which includes a three-match ODI series beginning on June 13.
But Kohli has suffered a hamstring injury and has reportedly been ruled out, while doubts remain over Rohit’s availability after the former India captain also picked up a hamstring injury during IPL 2026 that limited his appearances. Rohit was included in the squad, subject to fitness clearance.
Should they both miss out, it would undoubtedly take some of the sheen off the series. More importantly, it would be the exact scenario the BCCI and team management had quietly feared all along.
“That would be a bit silly, isn’t it, when one averages over 50 and the other averages close to 50?” Ajit Agarkar had told NDTV last October when asked about the two senior batters and their World Cup prospects. “You are not going to put them on trial in every game. But 2027 is a long way away, and both of them play one format.”
That final sentence was repeated several times whenever Agarkar and Gambhir were asked about Kohli and Rohit’s future. Fitness, more than form, appeared to be the concern. They were criticised for it at the time. But they were not necessarily wrong. From a practical standpoint, age-related injury risks made it difficult to offer guarantees so far out from a World Cup.
For a management and selection committee that has spent the last year preparing for every possible scenario, they are unlikely to be left scrambling if both Kohli and Rohit are officially ruled out. Instead, it would give them an opportunity to activate the long-feared Plan B for the World Cup.
Who would replace Kohli and Rohit?
The selectors may already have their alternatives lined up.
Ishan Kishan is back in the ODI setup after enjoying a strong run of form. The wicketkeeper-batter, fresh from his T20 World Cup heroics and an impressive IPL season, could slot straight into the opening role if Rohit is unavailable. His ODI credentials are already proven, highlighted by the double century he scored against Bangladesh in 2022.
If Kishan is preferred at No. 3, Yashasvi Jaiswal could be explored as a specialist opener. The last time he featured in an ODI, in December 2025, he scored an unbeaten 116 against South Africa.
There is also a third option in Devdutt Padikkal. The left-hander is coming off a record-breaking Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign, where four centuries and a 91 helped him amass 725 runs in nine innings at an average of 90.62. Like Kishan, Padikkal offers flexibility, capable of batting both at the top of the order and at No. 3.