Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli backed by New Zealand player to feature in ODI World Cup 2027
A New Zealand cricketer has expressed hope that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli continue playing ODIs and feature in the 2027 World Cup.
Rohit and Kohli will be seen playing ODIs for India against New Zealand in January 2026. Image | BCCI on X
Last Updated: 12.54 AM, Jan 07, 2026
India and New Zealand are set to clash against each other in the three-match ODI series, starting on January 11, with the first match taking place in Vadodara. Both teams have announced their squad, and there are some notable inclusions and exclusions on both teams, which raised a lot of questions.
New Zealand will be without their star player and former captain Kane Williamson. Michael Bracewell will be seen leading the Blackcaps. Bracewell addressed the media in New Zealand before the series and answered some questions regarding their opponents.
Bracewell talked about India’s veteran players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, admitting that it would be a silly thing to underestimate the two former captains.
"They're both playing beautifully, so why not? Their records speak for themselves, both individually and as a team. They've been involved in some great Indian sides and led that side with the bat. You'd be silly to underestimate them, that's for sure," Bracewell said.
Bracewell wants Rohit and Kohli to play ODI World Cup 2027
Both Rohit and Kohli are in red-hot form as their recent Vijay Hazare Trophy appearance saw them score a century in the two matches they played. The same kind of appearance is expected from them in the upcoming IND vs NZ ODI series.
Meanwhile, Bracewell, while talking about them, mentioned that he wanted both of them to play in the ODI World Cup 2027. "I'd like to see them (Rohit and Virat) play in the World Cup. They're obviously still playing very good cricket, so there's no reason to stop,"
India squad for New Zealand ODIs: Shubman Gill (captain), Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal.
New Zealand squad for India ODIs: Michael Bracewell (c), Adi Ashok, Kristian Clarke, Josh Clarkson, Devon Conway, Zak Foulkes, Mitch Hay (wk), Kyle Jamieson, Nick Kelly, Jayden Lennox, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Michael Rae, Will Young.
Where to watch IND vs NZ matches?
Cricket fans in India can watch the India vs New Zealand matches from January 11 online on JioHotstar, via OTTplay Premium.