India opener Rohit Sharma has set his sights on the 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, saying he wants to experience the feeling of winning the tournament again after India's recent T20 World Cup triumph.
Rohit also backed current ODI captain Shubman Gill, praising his leadership and making it clear that Gill's elevation to captaincy has not changed their relationship.
The comments came ahead of India's third ODI against the West Indies after Rohit and Gill produced a sensational opening partnership in the second ODI in Guwahati on Wednesday.
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Chasing a mammoth target of 406, Rohit and Gill added 255 runs for the opening wicket, India's second-highest opening partnership in ODIs. The pair dominated the West Indies attack before Rohit was dismissed for 101 off 75 balls.
Rohit's century came off just 75 deliveries and included 10 fours and six sixes, with a strike rate of 134.66.
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Speaking to JioStar ahead of the third ODI, Rohit praised Gill's approach to captaincy and said it was too early to judge him after roughly a year in the role.
“Shubman Gill has a great cricketing brain, no doubt about that. He has been captaining for about a year now, so it is unfair to judge him as a captain so early. But from what I have seen, he has been impressive. He is very clear about what he wants. That is the most important thing a captain should have,” Rohit said.
Rohit added that Gill's clarity of thought could help bring the rest of the team together.
“If the captain is clear, the players around him will also be clear. That is what I see with Shubman. He knows what he wants and is moving in the right direction. Of course, any captain needs the support of the players and the staff around him. I am sure that in whatever way I can help him, I will do that,” he said.
Rohit also addressed his relationship with Gill following the latter's appointment as India's ODI captain, stressing that the change in leadership would not affect their camaraderie.
“Shubman is the captain, but that does not mean I stay away from him or talk less with him. Ever since he made his debut, we have been moving in the same direction. That is how it should be, and it should not change for any reason,” Rohit said.
“He needs the confidence of the team, knowing that everyone is moving together. Our job is to support him and take the team forward,” he added.
Rohit Sharma Eyes 2027 World Cup Glory
Rohit was also asked what winning the 2027 ODI World Cup would mean to him. The tournament will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
The 39-year-old said winning another World Cup for India would be a special achievement and that he remains motivated by the prospect of experiencing that feeling again.
“It'll be great to win the upcoming ODI World Cup, that's all I'll say. I wouldn't think about full circle and all that now. Winning a World Cup for India is a special feeling,” Rohit said.
The veteran batter recalled his experience of winning the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 before India's long wait for another ICC title ended with the 2024 T20 World Cup triumph.
“I have experienced that twice in the T20 format. In 2007, I was just a 20-year-old kid. Of course, it's a big tournament. You've won a World Cup in your first year, and it's great,” he said.
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Rohit also pointed to India's 2013 Champions Trophy triumph and the subsequent wait for another ICC title.
“Then we won the Champions Trophy in 2013, and after that there was a long period, almost 11 years, during which we couldn't win an ICC title. That's why, when we won the T20 World Cup in 2024, there was a realisation of how important it was,” he added.
For Rohit, that memory remains a major source of motivation.
“So that feeling is still inside me to a great extent. I know what winning a World Cup feels like. That's why I want that feeling back. The fun we had, you can't describe it because nothing can match it,” he said.
“That's why winning that World Cup is very important to me, because I want to experience that feeling again, which we felt recently,” Rohit added.
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