Sanjay Manjrekar Backs Young Openers Over Rohit Sharma for 2027 World Cup

Former India batter, and commentator, Sanjay Manjrekar believes India should back a young player, instead of Rohit Sharma, as the first-choice opening for the 2027 ODI World Cup.

He said, India should go for players who will be in their prime by the time the tournament begins.

However, Manjrekar felt that Virat Kohli has the edge over everyone else in terms of fitness level.

Former Indian cricketer-turned-commentator, Sanjay Manjrekar has raised questions about India’s strategy for the ODI World Cup to be held in 2027, stating that Rohit Sharma would not be his pick as an opening for the World Cup.

Speaking on Sony Sports, Manjrekar said, since the World Cup is now more than a year away, the Indian selection committee should look to build their team around players who are at their peak right now. He added that the openers for the tournament should be those players who could prove useful for India beyond the world cup.

“Opening the innings in a 50-over game is fun. It is a rehabilitation programme. That, I think, you should give to a player who is in their prime and has got another 5-10 years of playing ability left in them. If you are thinking only about Rohit Sharma, it's not right.”

“You have to think about Indian cricket and its future. In that regard, I don’t think Rohit Sharma would be my choice as opener in the squad,” Manjrekar added.

Why Virat Kohli remains a strong contender for the 2027 World Cup - Manjrekar Explains

Sanjay Manjrekar is of the opinion that although the discussions about selection usually revolve around the experienced players, like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the former would make a better case for the 2027 ODI World Cup because of his supreme level of fitness and world-class athleticism.

The retired cricketer also emphasised that India must look at things from the future point of view and not select a team merely based on the reputation of the players. He also mentioned with his fitness levels and consistency in terms of performance, Kohli can be very well a candidate to represent India in next World Cup.

India’s Ro-Ko dilemma for the ODI World Cup 2027

India is at an extremely sensitive stage of transition where there is tension brewing between long-term vision and short-term stability. In the light of the selection of both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for the upcoming ODI series in England, which is scheduled to take place in July and with the intention of using them for the time being, India will surely find itself depending on the experience of both these veterans to win the tournament.

On the other hand, with the number of ODIs in their schedule decreasing, each innings played by the experienced duo of Ro-ko (Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli) gains additional significance in the selection process and the next 12-18 months will determine their future as well as India’s level of ambitions for the ODI batting line up in the fuutre.