Rohit Sharma Corrects ‘World Cup’ Focus, Opens up on Emotional Hug with Virat Kohli

Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma has provided insight into his long-standing bond with Virat Kohli and the emotional weight of their T20 World Cup victory, while also clarifying his focus on the upcoming 2027 ODI World Cup.

The Emotional T20 World Cup Victory

Reflecting on the emotional hug shared with Kohli after winning the T20 World Cup in June 2024 (which marked their final T20I match), Rohit explained the deep significance of the victory:

“There was so much riding on both of us to take the team through… But being – I don’t like to say that word – the two senior-most in that squad, we had played a lot of cricket together, except IPL. When he came into the team, I was only a year into my career. So, literally, we did everything together. And we have seen a lot of setbacks as well, with the World Cups.”

He underscored the importance of finally lifting an ICC trophy after a decade-long drought: “Both of us knew that it was our last World Cup. Last T20 World Cup. So that made it even more special.”

Big Correction: Mission 2027

Rohit, who along with Kohli has now retired from Tests and T20Is, made a quick correction while speaking to the ICC, confirming his primary focus is on the next major silverware: the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa.

Though both players will be close to 40 by the 2027 tournament (Rohit will be 40, Kohli 39), their current limited schedule—playing only ODIs and the IPL—is expected to help them remain fit and sharp for the campaign.

Current Form

Both “Ro-Ko” are currently in exceptional form, as evidenced by recent performance:

• Virat Kohli: Blasted 302 runs in the recent ODI series against South Africa.
• Rohit Sharma: Registered a fifty and a century against Australia, followed by another fifty against South Africa.

Their consistent run-scoring and high ICC rankings suggest they remain integral to India’s 50-overs plans.