Jonty Rhodes knows what it costs to lose a World Cup. He played in four of them. He never got past the semi-finals. When he tells India to keep Rohit Sharma for the 2027 ODI World Cup, he is not offering a compliment. He is offering a warning.
Speaking to JioStar on September 2, 2026, as co-owner of the Rotterdam Dockers in the inaugural European T20 Premier League, Rhodes made the case that selectors across cricket overlook the one thing that separates World Cup squads from World Cup winners: the mental weight of tournament experience.
“Players can look after themselves physically, but that mental strength is something that we do not often factor in when it comes to selection. But as somebody who has played in four Cricket World Cups without getting past two semi-finals, I know how stressful it can become. So having someone like Rohit Sharma in your squad is such an asset at a World Cup.”
Jonty Rhodes, JioStar interview, September 2, 2026
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Rhodes’ argument is specific. Selectors evaluate talent, recent form, and fitness. They rarely account for what a player has already survived at a World Cup. Rohit has been through three of them. His numbers in the tournament back up everything Rhodes is saying.
| Stat | Record |
|---|---|
| World Cups played | 3 (2015, 2019, 2023) |
| Runs | 1,575 |
| Average | 60.57 |
| Centuries | 7 (most by any batter in World Cup history) |
| Fifties | 6 |
| 2019 World Cup | Leading run-scorer, 648 runs, 5 centuries |
Rohit’s 39 years and recent form have divided opinion between the BCCI and the selection panel. During the England ODI series in July, reports surfaced that the selectors had moved on from Rohit and that his Lord’s ODI would be his last in the format. The BCCI denied those claims. Rohit then scored 138 in that Lord’s ODI, which changed the tone of the conversation entirely.
Rhodes’ interview landed exactly one day before the BCCI’s review meeting in Mumbai on September 3. Head coach Gautam Gambhir, Centre of Excellence chief VVS Laxman, Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, and T20I captain Shreyas Iyer all attended. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar was absent.
The meeting addressed India’s overseas struggles, fitness management, and the roadmap to the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia addressed Rohit’s future after the meeting with a clear signal, telling reporters that Rohit is “playing brilliantly.” Rohit is now expected to remain in contention for India’s three-match ODI series against West Indies starting September 27.
Rhodes on Kohli: The Ultimate Finisher
Rhodes did not stop at Rohit. In the same JioStar interview, he turned to Virat Kohli and compared his competitive drive to the mentality that carried Australia through six World Cup titles. Rhodes described Kohli’s hunger as something that sets him apart from every other chaser in the history of the format, calling him the “ultimate finisher” for India.
Kohli’s ODI numbers support that description. He has 14,941 runs in 314 matches with 54 centuries. In World Cup cricket, he is the fourth-highest run-getter of all time. His position in India’s 2027 squad is not under the same scrutiny as Rohit’s.
Rhodes co-owns the Rotterdam Dockers alongside Faf du Plessis, Heinrich Klaasen, and actor John Abraham. The ETPL’s inaugural season runs from August 26 to September 20 across venues in the Netherlands and Ireland. But Rhodes’ connection to Indian cricket runs deeper than any franchise role. He spent eight years as Mumbai Indians’ fielding coach from 2009 to 2017, working alongside Rohit through three IPL titles. He has watched Rohit from inside the dressing room, not from a commentary box.
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Rhodes played World Cups in 1992, 1996, 1999, and 2003. South Africa’s tournament history during that stretch is a catalogue of pressure breaking good teams at the worst possible moment. Tied semi-finals. Rain rules. Chokes. Rhodes sat through all of it.
That is what makes his endorsement different from every pundit calling Rohit an asset. When he says mental strength is undervalued in selection, he is not guessing. He watched it destroy campaigns from the inside. A player who has failed at four World Cups understands something about tournament survival that no stat sheet and no recent form guide will ever capture. Rohit has that survival knowledge. Rhodes is telling India not to waste it.
Also Read:
- AB de Villiers on Rohit Sharma and the World Cup
- Steve Waugh Questions Rohit Sharma’s Commitment
- Suryakumar Yadav on Rohit Sharma
- Shukla on Rohit Sharma’s ODI Future
- Rohit Sharma’s Last ODI at Lord’s
- Jaiswal on Rohit: Legend, Will Play As Long As He Wants
