IND vs ENG: Shubman Gill reacts to Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma’s participation in the ODI World Cup 2027

India’s ODI side is ready to take on England, the hosts, on July 14 in the series opener at Edgbaston, Birmingham. With this, the men in blue will officially start their preparations for the ODI World Cup 2027, scheduled for October 4 to November 21 in 2027. At the moment, every cricket fan is asking about Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s availability for the mega event. However, so far, no one has given a clear verdict regarding them. 

But ahead of the first ODI, during the pre-match press conference, Shubman Gill finally opened up on Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma’s participation in the ODI World Cup 2027. He clearly said that the two veteran players are important players of the side. He has even started talking with Virat about World Cup plans. 

"We were talking about the combination. Which combination would be best for us, which players are there who may not be in the team right now but can help us in the future, which bowlers, which all-rounders, which spinners. We were talking about all of that," Gill said at the pre-match press conference ahead of the first ODI against England at Edgbaston on Tuesday. 

"Virat bhai (Kohli) and Rohit bhai (Sharma) have been the backbone of the Indian batting line-up for the past decade. They remain a very integral part of our team. The experience and skill they bring are obviously very valuable.

Furthermore, Indian skipper Shubman Gill stated that the ODI World Cup 2027 preparation has already started. They can try the best combination that will help in South African conditions.

He also said that currently there are no concerning areas in the team. The side wants to give chances to new players in the upcoming cricket series to get experience before the World Cup. 

"Our preparation for the (2027) World Cup is very different. Our mindset is to see what kind of combination we can try. The wickets we are likely to get in South Africa will be similar to what we get here, so this is a very important series for us," he added.

"I don't think there are any concerning areas. It's not like we have an unsettled XI. But you have to give chances to new players. The more experience they get in pressure situations and the more they perform, the better it will be for us before the World Cup," he said. 

A 3-match ODI series will be played between India and England. The series opener will be held in Birmingham on July 14, followed by the second and third ODIs on July 16 at Sophia Gardens and July 19 at Lord’s, respectively.