There’s a quality that stats and recent form can never fully capture and according to former South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes, that quality is exactly what makes Rohit Sharma so valuable to team India heading into the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Rohit Sharma was removed as India’s ODI captain last October, despite having led the team to the ICC Champions Trophy title in what turned out to be his final assignment as skipper. Even so, he remains a key part of India’s 50-over setup, having scored a century in his most recent ODI appearance against England at Lord’s on July 19, 2026. He’s also expected to be part of the squad for the upcoming ODI series against the West Indies.
That said, his place in the 2027 World Cup squad isn’t guaranteed. Reports have suggested the 39-year-old may not fit into the selectors’ long-term plans for the tournament. Jonty Rhodes, however, who has worked closely with Rohit Sharma during their time together at Mumbai Indians in the IPL, believes that the mental toughness and experience players like Rohit bring to the table become especially important once the pressure of a World Cup sets in.
Speaking on a show, Jonty Rhodes pointed out that World Cup experience is often an overlooked factor when picking squads, since selection tends to focus heavily on a player’s talent, ability and recent form. He explained that even someone coming off a great run of performances can find things very different when it actually comes down to handling the intense pressure that a World Cup brings.
Jonty Rhodes speaks from personal experience here, he played in four editions of the 50-over World Cup for South Africa but was never able to get past the semi-final stage in any of them.
Drawing from that experience, he emphasised just how crucial mental strength is during a tournament like the World Cup, and why India having a player like Rohit Sharma around could make a real difference. He noted that while physical fitness is something players can manage on their own, mental resilience is often the part that gets overlooked during selection and having gone through four World Cups himself without progressing past the semi-finals, he understands firsthand just how stressful that stage can be. That’s precisely why, in his view, having someone like Rohit Sharma in the squad becomes such a valuable asset heading into a World Cup.
We certainly agree with Jonty Rhodes, what do you say?
