Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have sealed their spots for 2027 World Cup: Kris Srikkanth

Former India selector Kris Srikkanth has stated that there should be no doubts about Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma making the 2027 World Cup, as they have already secured their spots in the tournament.

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Kohli and Rohit combined for 136 runs off 109 balls in their 392nd international encounter, helping India score 349 runs in 50 overs.

This partnership proved significant as India triumphed by 17 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the series. Kohli scored 135 runs, while Rohit played an aggressive 57, breaking the record for most sixes in ODIs.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth stated that India's World Cup ambitions would not be possible without the presence of the star combo.

"Kohli and Rohit are playing on another level. Without these two, the 2027 World Cup plans will not work out. You need Rohit at one end and Virat at another. There should be no questions asked," said Srikkanth on his YouTube channel.

Srikkanth also stated that the Ro-Ko duo stole the game away from the Proteas in Ranchi. Kohli and Rohit scored 80 runs in the powerplay, and when the partnership was broken, India had scored 161 runs in 21.2 overs.

"See, in 2013, he said in an interview that since 2013, Rohit and he used to score heavily and take down oppositions. If you look at it, if Rohit and Kohli bat for 20 overs, the opposition is gone. Today, that’s what happened. They were literally batted out. Yes, South Africa fought back well. But their partnership finished them off," said Srikkanth.

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Srikkanth also lauded Kohli and Rohit, who are 37 and 38, respectively, for working on their health despite only playing one format.

"It’s not just the runs. They have worked very hard (on fitness). Virat and Rohit are playing only one format. It’s not easy to maintain your mindset like this when only playing one format. As far as I am concerned, they have sealed their spots for the 2027 World Cup. No. 1 and No. 3 slots are all sealed. We can’t win without them," said Srikkanth.

Rohit and Kohli will return to action for India's second ODI against South Africa on Wednesday, December 3.

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