‘You can’t go series by series’: Ajinkya Rahane wants India to assure Rohit Sharma of 2027 World Cup spot

Former India cricketer Ajinkya Rahane has backed his ex teammate Rohit Sharma to make the country's squad for the 2027 ODI World Cup.

There were speculations regarding Rohit Sharma's ODI future after it was reported that the third ODI against England at Lord's in July would be his last.

However, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia put those rumours to rest and confirmed that Rohit was still part of India's plans.

Rohit responded in style by scoring a century in the third ODI against England, but the uncertainty surrounding his spot for the ODI World Cup still remains.

“I think it’s important to tell Rohit Sharma that he’s going to play the 2027 World Cup,” Rahane, who retired from all formats of cricket last week, told The Indian Express. “If you see his contribution throughout so many years, it’s been amazing. So you need the experience of such a player in the World Cup. That discussion shouldn’t even happen.

‘You can’t go series by series': Rahane

According to Ajinkya Rahane, cricket is heavily influenced by rhythm and confidence, and an experienced player should be given sufficient security to perform without constantly worrying about selection.

“If you say once, ‘Rohit Sharma, you’re going to play,’ that’s it. You can’t go series by series because he’s such a big player," he added.

Rahane also said that there shouldn't be any questions over the 39-year-old's place in the squad. “If you treat a big player like that, because as I said, it’s about rhythm. Cricket is about rhythm.

"No matter how many matches you’ve played, whether you’re a youngster or an experienced player in the team, it’s about rhythm. If your mind is free, you can play with that mindset.”

“As for Rohit’s quality, there’s no need to even speak about it. Such experience is needed in the team, so this debate shouldn’t even happen between the team management and the captain. Agar unko khelna hai 2027 World Cup, toh unko khelna hai,” he added. (If he wants to play in the 2027 World Cup, then he should play.)," the 38-year-old explained.

Rohit's ODI future remains under discussion

Ajinkya Rahane's comments come in the aftermath of a fresh report regarding Rohit Sharma's uncertain ODI future.

According to Dainik Jagran, the BCCI selectors and the top brass of the board have differing opinions on the veteran's spot in the India ODI squad. Like his long-time India teammate Virat Kohli, Rohit has retired from both T20Is and Tests.

The Nagpur-born cricketer has played 288 ODIs for India and has aggregated 11,895 runs at an average of 48.95. This includes 62 fifties and 34 centuries.