Rinku Singh hopes Kohli, Rohit play 2027 ODI World Cup
Middle-order batter Rinku Singh has said he hopes Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma feature in the 2027 ODI World Cup and help India win the title. Speaking to JioStar, he said it could be their last World Cup and noted India last won the trophy in 2011. Rinku, who has played two ODIs and 48 T20Is and was part of the 2026 T20 World Cup-winning side at home, said he also aims to play Test cricket across all three formats.
Source
Telangana Today · read the original report ↗
Desk check · compared with the source
What the desk checked (5)
- Rinku Singh has played two ODIs and 48 T20Is. — Figures appear in the source; no independent verification possible.
- Rinku was part of India's winning 2026 T20 World Cup campaign at home. — Stated in source without external citation.
- India last won the World Cup in 2011. — Attributed to Rinku Singh in a direct quote.
- Rinku hit five consecutive sixes in an over for Kolkata Knight Riders against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad in IPL 2023. — Detail provided by the source as background.
- Rinku was omitted from India squads after the Zimbabwe tour in July and was IPL vice-captain last season. — Stated in source and partly in his own quotes; no separate sourcing given.
Analysts’ view opinion
Rinku Singh's remarks are more than fan sentiment — they point to the real selection question hanging over India's ODI side before 2027: build the middle order around experience or around the next generation. Keeping Kohli and Rohit gives India big-match temperament and stability, but it also narrows the ODI door for finishers like Rinku. With just two ODIs to his name and no India call-up since the Zimbabwe tour, his push to shed the 'single-format player' tag reads like a man who understands that squeeze.
- Despite being part of the 2026 T20 World Cup-winning squad, Rinku's ODI exposure is just two matches — a thin base to build a 2027 case on.
- The story does not establish whether Kohli or Rohit will actually be available or selected; Rinku is voicing a hope, not a selection signal.
- The reminder that India last won the ODI World Cup in 2011 explains why the argument for proven, experienced batters remains strong.
- By citing his domestic red-ball record and stating a Test ambition, Rinku is trying to widen his value beyond the T20 finisher label.
- Captaincy in the UP League and an IPL vice-captaincy add a leadership dimension that could strengthen his overall profile beyond pure batting output.
What to watch — Watch how India's middle order is structured in the ODI series leading into 2027 and whether Rinku earns his way back into the squad.
This is one player's opinion; it establishes nothing about Kohli's or Rohit's future plans, the selectors' thinking, or Rinku's chances of a recall.
Deep dive
Research brief · 8 facts · 6 dates · exam-readyThe brief
Context
Rinku Singh, a middle-order batter known as a T20 finisher for India, has spoken to broadcaster JioStar about India's prospects at the 2027 ODI World Cup and his own ambitions. He said he hopes Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, both veteran stalwarts, play that tournament — possibly their last World Cup — and help India win a trophy the team last lifted in 2011. Rinku, part of India's 2026 T20 World Cup-winning side at home, also said he wants to shed the "single-format player" tag by earning a Test cap.
Key facts
- Rinku Singh has played two ODIs and 48 T20Is for India so far.
- He was a member of India's victorious 2026 T20 World Cup campaign, played on home soil earlier this year.
- India last won the (ODI) World Cup in 2011, Rinku noted.
- Rinku said it could be the last World Cup for Kohli and Rohit, referring to the 2027 ODI World Cup.
- He gained global fame by hitting five consecutive sixes in an over in an IPL 2023 match for Kolkata Knight Riders against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad.
- Rinku was omitted from India's squads after the tour of Zimbabwe in July.
- He captained in the UP League and won the title with his team; last season he was vice-captain in the IPL.
- He said he is learning captaincy from Ajinkya Rahane at KKR and from observing Suryakumar Yadav lead India over two years.
Timeline
- 2011India last won the (ODI) World Cup, as recalled by Rinku Singh.
- IPL 2023Rinku Singh hits five consecutive sixes in an over for Kolkata Knight Riders against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad.
- Earlier in 2026Rinku is part of India's winning 2026 T20 World Cup campaign at home.
- July (as stated in source)Rinku omitted from India's squads after the tour of Zimbabwe.
- 23 September 2026Rinku's JioStar interview published, expressing hope Kohli and Rohit play the 2027 ODI World Cup.
- 2027Scheduled ODI World Cup, the tournament Rinku is referring to.
Who has a stake
- Rinku Singh — Wants to return to the India side, win World Cups and earn a Test cap to prove he is not a single-format player.
- Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma — Veterans whose participation in the 2027 ODI World Cup — possibly their last — is in question.
- Indian men's cricket team — Seeking a first ODI World Cup title since 2011 at the 2027 edition, after winning the 2026 T20 World Cup.
- Kolkata Knight Riders — Rinku's IPL franchise, where he was vice-captain last season and learns captaincy from Ajinkya Rahane.
- JioStar — Broadcaster that carried the interview.
- Suryakumar Yadav and Ajinkya Rahane — Leaders Rinku cites as captaincy influences in the India team and at KKR.
Why it matters
India's transition planning in ODIs hinges on whether its two most experienced batters play the 2027 World Cup, and Rinku's comments capture both the sentiment around them and the pressure on younger finishers to step up. His push for a Test cap also reflects a wider selection debate in Indian cricket about players being typecast by format despite strong domestic red-ball records.
UPSC angle
Prelims pointers
- Rinku Singh: two ODIs and 48 T20Is for India as of the September 2026 interview.
- India last won the ODI World Cup in 2011; the next edition Rinku refers to is in 2027.
- India won the 2026 T20 World Cup on home soil, with Rinku Singh in the squad.
- Rinku's five sixes in an over came in IPL 2023 for Kolkata Knight Riders vs Gujarat Titans at Ahmedabad.
- Rinku was KKR's vice-captain last season and captained a title-winning side in the UP League.
- Rinku was left out of India's squads after the Zimbabwe tour in July.
Mains framing
Rinku Singh's remarks illuminate two structural issues in Indian cricket: generational transition and format typecasting. India's last ODI World Cup title came in 2011, and the 2027 edition may be the final one for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, leaving selectors to balance the proven match-winning value of veterans against the need to blood middle-order finishers well before the tournament. Rinku's own trajectory — instant fame from five sixes in an over in IPL 2023, a place in the 2026 T20 World Cup-winning squad, then omission from India squads after the July Zimbabwe tour — shows how narrow a specialist's window can be when selection is format-driven. His claim that his domestic one-day and four-day averages justify a Test chance raises the question of whether domestic red-ball performance is weighted enough in national selection. The way forward suggested by the story is greater continuity of opportunity across formats, leadership grooming through franchise and state cricket (as with his UP League title and KKR vice-captaincy under Ajinkya Rahane), and clear role definition ahead of 2027.
Key terms
- ODI World Cup 2027
- The next 50-over World Cup, which Rinku hopes Kohli and Rohit will play and win for India.
- Finisher
- A middle- or lower-order batter tasked with scoring quickly in the closing overs; Rinku's established T20 role.
- Single-format player
- A tag for cricketers seen as suited to only one format, which Rinku rejects by citing his domestic record.
- JioStar
- The broadcaster to which Rinku Singh gave the interview.
- Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
- Rinku's IPL franchise, where he was vice-captain last season and learns from Ajinkya Rahane.
- UP League
- Domestic league in which Rinku captained his team to the title, part of his leadership grooming.
Practice questions
- How should national selectors balance retaining experienced match-winners with building a young core ahead of a major tournament like the 2027 ODI World Cup?
- Does format specialisation in modern cricket limit players' careers? Discuss with reference to Rinku Singh's case.
- Examine the role of franchise and state-level captaincy experience in developing future national team leaders in Indian cricket.
Grounded only in the source report — figures and dates are the source's, not inferred.