Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli should be fully supported to feature in the 2027 Men’s ODI World Cup, as the two greats have earned the right to decide when to call time on their illustrious playing careers, said former New Zealand assistant coach James Pamment.
Pamment spent eight years with the Mumbai Indians as a fielding coach, where Rohit led the side to IPL 2019 and 2020 wins. “Well, I think with all top players, when the time is coming towards the end of the career, it’s a conversation that is always had with them. Those guys have earned the right to make the decision on when they do want to move away.
“If they have decided that the ODI World Cup in South Africa is a pinnacle event that they want to be at, then they should be supported to be there. Then it becomes about performance and contribution to the group. Now, I’ve never worked closely with Virat.
“I’ve watched him, obviously, very closely when I’ve been with the New Zealand team or with Mumbai Indians. I’ve watched him and to me, he’s just the ultimate professional. So he’s the sort of guy that I would want in my environment the whole time because he’s the ultimate professional,” Pamment told IANS in an exclusive interaction.
Since Rohit was removed as the captain despite leading India to the 2025 Champions Trophy title, every bilateral ODI series has turned into a verdict on the futures of the two batting veterans.
India last won an ODI series in New Zealand in 2018/19 and curiosity will again be on a high on whether Rohit and Kohli help India win the five-game series starting on November 4, especially when bilateral series wins have been hard to come and the Test team-bound players will be unavailable for the last two games.
“Rohit, I know obviously very well. He was captain at Mumbai when I was there for eight years. Once again, just the sort of guy that you want around the group. As long as their performances are warranting their selection and their contributions to the group, sharing their experiences and knowledge, I would love to have them in my group for sure.
“But as soon as that starts to wane a little bit, they’ll know more than anybody else. If the passion starts to wane and it becomes a drag to be travelling, training and playing, that’s the time when you step aside.
“I hope that these guys make it all the way through to South Africa and can finish their careers in fine styles because both are incredible servants for the game, obviously for the BCCI and for Indian cricket and Indian fans. Amazing to have these guys playing for so long, but for world cricket as well. I don’t think you find too many people who just don’t hold them in the highest of regards,” added Pamment.
He also felt the series would double up as an ideal platform for ODI World Cup preparation, with conditions closely resembling those in South Africa, and predicted packed stands for what could be the pair’s farewell appearances in the country.
“I think so because the New Zealand conditions will be very similar to the conditions that the teams will get in South Africa, especially down on the coastal grounds. Grounds like Durban, Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha) and Newlands will be very similar to the New Zealand conditions that they experience here for these five ODIs.
“For New Zealand fans and fans in general of cricket, to be able to say, we’re going to get Rohit and Virat here again, maybe for the last time, is incredible. I think already there’s been 115,000 tickets sold across the three series. 63,000 of those have been sold, I think, for the T20s.
“But I would be very surprised if all those ODIs are not sellouts. It’s the attraction to be able to go and watch world-class players like those two, probably for the last time, and to see how our New Zealand boys compete in that environment. We have played some very good ODI cricket on some very good wickets at home.”
