NEW DELHi: Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has made a bold statement about Rohit Sharma’s future, asserting that the Mumbai batter will feature prominently in the 2027 ODI World Cup despite being relieved of his captaincy. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Shubman Gill was recently appointed India’s new ODI captain ahead of the three-match series against Australia starting October 19, but Kaif believes Rohit’s leadership status will not affect his role as a key opener for India.

“He will definitely play, boss. Look, the captaincy may have been taken away from him, but I believe that as an opener, Rohit Sharma will do his job,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.The former cricketer highlighted the importance of experience in challenging conditions, particularly in South Africa, where the World Cup will be co-hosted alongside Zimbabwe and Namibia. “You need an experienced batter in the side. You can’t go to South Africa with an entirely young team. Sometimes in those seaming conditions, the ball moves a lot and the pitches are bouncy. If you take only new players there, they’ll get exposed.”

Kaif praised Rohit’s ability to handle pace and bounce, saying, “That’s why I feel you need a player who can handle the bounce, who can pull and cut the rising deliveries just like Rohit Sharma does. On those kinds of pitches, I believe Rohit Sharma will perform even better. His batting style as an opener suits such conditions perfectly. He plays the rising ball, the one that bounces from the front, extremely well. Among all the players you can name, Rohit Sharma is the only one who handles that rising delivery so effectively.”He also emphasised the importance of combining youth with experience in crucial tournaments. “Just look at his numbers, his years of experience. On a big stage like the World Cup, you need players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, players who have seen the world and experienced ups and downs. In a tournament like the World Cup, you’re going to lose a game or two in between, then you’ll need to make a comeback. You’ll face those do-or-die matches where you must win to reach the quarterfinals or top four. In such crucial situations, the roles of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli become absolutely vital.”