New Delhi [India], September 26 (ANI): Veteran Indian batter Rohit Sharma believes he still has unfinished business in ODI cricket and is looking forward to the 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, insisting there will always be something to strive for as long as he continues playing.
Speaking to JioStar ahead of India's three-match ODI series against the West Indies, Rohit reflected on his motivation to continue in the 50-over format after stepping away from Test and T20I cricket.
"The thought will never cross my mind that the business I had is finished. As long as you're playing, there is always something to look forward to. And I'm looking forward to the World Cup, looking at what lies ahead for me," said Rohit, as per JioStar.
"When the World Cup is played, when we play an ICC tournament, it has its own unique challenge, because you face different opponents, you play at different venues. So, you have to prepare differently, think in a different way and that is the challenge," he added.
Rohit, who has won the ICC T20I World Cup for India twice (2007 and 2024), has never been a part of ODI World Cup winning team. He missed out on lifting the trophy as captain in 2023, when India suffered a defeat against Australia in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The 2027 World Cup, to be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia from October 4 to November 21, will provide Rohit with another opportunity on the global stage.
The 39-year-old has now retired from Test and T20I cricket and continues to represent India in ODIs. He has scored 11,895 runs in 288 ODIs, including 34 centuries and 62 fifties, at an average of 48 and a strike rate of 93.
Rohit holds the record for the highest individual score in men's ODI cricket, having made 264 against Sri Lanka in 2014. He is also the only batter to have scored three double-centuries in the format.
India will begin their preparations for the 2027 World Cup with a three-match ODI series against the West Indies, starting at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday. The second ODI will be played in Guwahati on September 30, followed by the third match in New Chandigarh on October 3.
India are scheduled to play five ODIs in New Zealand and three against Sri Lanka later this year, followed by a three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe at the start of 2027.
India's ODI squad for the West Indies series comprises Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul (vice-captain), Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Mohammed Siraj, Auqib Nabi, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Naman Dhir. (ANI)
Rohit Sharma eyes 2027 ODI World Cup, says 'unfinished business' keeps him going
