In his first press conference since taking over as India's new head coach, Gautam Gambhir addressed the future of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, indicating that the two could pretty much remain in contention for the 2027 World Cup. Rohit and Kohli, the two stalwarts of Indian cricket who announced their retirements from T20 internationals following India's T20 World Cup win last month in the West Indies, have a lot of cricket left in them, reckons Gambhir, and with big tournaments such as the Champions Trophy and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy lined up, the newly-appointed head coach is confident to see 'Ro-Ko' featuring regularly in ODIs and Tests going forward.

Rohit and Kohli will be springing back into action in the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka starting August 1. Initially expected to be given a longer break, Kohli and Rohit were back in the mix, reportedly on the request of Gambhir, for whom the SL tour is his first assignment as India coach. Besides, the fact that India only have a handful of ODIs to go before the Champions Trophy next year, Rohit and Kohli's return is an added boost for the Men in Blue and will act as match practice for the two batting superstars before the next big ICC tournament early next year.

And if things remain on track, who knows, maybe even the 2027 World Cup, by when Kohli would be 39 and Rohit 40.

"I think they have shown what they can deliver on the big stage, whether it's the T20 World Cup or the 50-over World Cup as well. One thing I can be very clear of is that both those guys have a lot of cricket left in them. More importantly, with the Champions Trophy [in 2025] and a big tour of Australia [in November 2024], obviously they would be motivated enough. And then, hopefully, if they can maintain their fitness, the 2027 [ODI] World Cup as well.," Gambhir said in Mumbai on Monday.

"But this is a very personal decision. I can't say how much cricket is left in them. Ultimately, it's up to them as well, it's up to the players. How much can they contribute to the team's success. Because, ultimately, it's the team that is important. But looking at what Virat and Rohit can deliver, I think they still have a lot of cricket [left to play]. They're still world-class players and obviously any team would want to have both of them for as long as possible."

Workload management more for someone like Jasprit Bumrah, insists Gautam Gambhir

Another important aspect which Gambhir touched upon regarding Kohli and Rohit is their workload management. As a strong advocate of players' need to keep playing consistently, Gambhir hoped the same for Kohli and Rohit, despite them being 35 and 37 respectively. The former India opener weighed in on the concept of workload management, pointing out that while it is important for someone like Jasprit Bumrah, whom Kohli quoted as a 'once-in-a-generation bowler' and certain other pacers, guys like Kohli and Rohit should continue playing as much as they can, more so now that they have walked away from one format entirely.

"Workload management is surely important but maybe more for someone like Bumrah, who is an exceptional and a rare talent. But as far as batters are concerned, they should play. They should be available for most games. But for Bumrah, we need to keep him fresh. Workload management for fast bowlers becomes important. For Rohit and Virat, I think they can play more now that they have retired from T20I internationals."