Ahead of the ODI World Cup 2027, former South African cricketer Mark Boucher said that he has no doubt in his mind that Team India`s stalwart Virat Kohli will participate in the marquee tournament.
He also said that there is nothing wrong with Kohli`s fitness and the Indian team will need his services for the global tournament. The ODI World Cup 2027 will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
“Virat is going to be there. There`s no doubt in my mind. I mean, he`s given up a couple of the formats at the moment. There`s nothing about his fitness at all. It`s just about whether he actually wants to play. And I think for me, I`m sure that his mind is set on coming here and playing in another World Cup. And India needs him as well,” he said.
The former cricketer also pointed out that the absence of Virat and Rohit Sharma does leave a hole in Test cricket in India. Boucher feels that it would be fantastic for the “Men in Blue” if they get the services of Kohli in the global showpiece.
“I mean, we`ve seen in India that Test cricket, where Rohit and Virat are not there, it does leave a hole. And so I think the World Cup in South Africa would be a better tournament if Virat Kohli is involved. And obviously, for India, it would be fantastic if he stands there as well,” said the 49-year-old cricketer.
Currently, Virat and Rohit are both busy featuring in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand. Earlier, during the ODI series against South Africa, Kohli registered the scores of 135, 102 and an unbeaten 65 runs.
After the conclusion of the ongoing three-match ODI series against the “Black Caps”, both teams will lock horns against each other for five T20I matches.
The five-match T20I series will also serve as a preparatory contest for both teams for the T20 World Cup 2026.
T20 World Cup 2026: Group A and Group D teams
Team India is placed in Group A along with the teams such as Namibia, the Netherlands, Pakistan, and the United States of America (USA). On the other hand, New Zealand`s Group D consists of the likes of Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
