India, June 4 -- Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were set to resume their preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup in mid-June with the home series against Afghanistan. Towards the end of 2025, when they returned to international cricket after a hiatus, they silenced the noise around whether they still belonged on the biggest stage. Despite the accolades and a mountain of records behind them, Rohit and Kohli were far from guaranteed spots in India's long-term plans. Neither the selectors nor head coach Gautam Gambhir were willing to commit to them being part of the 2027 World Cup setup.

Through the series against Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, Kohli and Rohit let their bats do the talking. The former scored 616 runs in nine innings...