NEW DELHI: Rohit Sharma has refused to look too far ahead when it comes to the 2027 ODI World Cup, insisting that October 2027 is still a long way away as speculation continues over whether the veteran batter will feature in the next edition of the global showpiece.Asked about his chances of playing the World Cup at the Global Fintech Fest in Mumbai on Thursday, Rohit offered a brief but significant response."October 2027 is far away, we will see about it then," said Rohit when asked about his participation by a member of the audience.The remark comes amid persistent questions over the 39-year-old's international future. Rohit has already retired from T20Is and Tests, leaving ODIs as his only remaining international format. His form, however, continues to keep the possibility of extending his career firmly in the conversation.The 2027 ODI World Cup will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

Rohit leaves World Cup door open

Rohit's future came under particularly intense scrutiny during India's recent tour of England. Ahead of the third ODI at Lord's, there was speculation that the series decider could potentially be his final international appearance for India.Instead, Rohit responded in emphatic fashion.Chasing 388 in the series decider, the former India captain produced a sensational 138 off 110 balls, smashing 17 fours and five sixes. Although India eventually lost the match by 27 runs, the innings served as a powerful reminder of his ability to dominate at the highest level.Rohit finished the three-match ODI series with 175 runs at an average of 58.33 and a strike rate of 98.31, including his match-defining century. He has accumulated 379 runs in nine ODI innings this year at an average of 42.11 and a strike rate of over 99, with one century and one fifty.Rohit has also begun training ahead of India's ODI series against the West Indies, which starts at home from September 27. The official Instagram handle of 'Team Ro', the batter's media team, posted a snippet of him unleashing his trademark strokeplay, captioned simply: "Finesse."

‘Why is there any speculation?’

The BCCI has also sought to play down speculation surrounding Rohit's future.Following the board's review meeting in Mumbai earlier, secretary Devajit Saikia backed the veteran batter and pointed to his recent performances, particularly his 138 against England."He is playing superbly in all matches. So what more do you want? In the last match (against England), he scored 138 runs, so why is there speculation? I do not want to give some fodder for the speculators," Saikia told reporters.Rohit was also asked about the possibility of an open-bus celebration in Mumbai if India win the 2027 World Cup, similar to the 2024 T20 World Cup celebrations."....I do not think a bus parade would be possible now," Rohit replied.