Virat Kohli continues to score runs and hit centuries in ODI cricket, remaining one of India’s most dependable batters. However, former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif believes that even Kohli cannot win the 2027 ODI World Cup on his own. According to him, India will need contributions from the entire team to succeed in challenging overseas conditions.
The 2027 ODI World Cup is scheduled to take place in October-November and will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. With the tournament approaching, India will need to build a strong and balanced squad capable of competing against the best teams in the world.
India have plenty of batting options to choose from. Alongside Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the team has talented players such as Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan. The all-rounder options include Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja and emerging talent Nitish Reddy. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad are also among the backup options available to the selectors.
However, India’s bowling attack, particularly the pace department, remains an area of concern because of its limited depth. Jasprit Bumrah currently appears to be the only guaranteed starter among the fast bowlers.
Mohammad Kaif is confident that both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli can perform well in South Africa. However, he believes India cannot depend on their senior batters alone and will need the rest of the team to step up at crucial moments.
To explain his point, Kaif recalled India’s memorable campaign at the 2003 ODI World Cup, when the team reached the final for the first time since 1983.
Sachin Tendulkar was India’s leading batter during that tournament and lived up to expectations with outstanding performances. However, the team also received important contributions from several other batters and bowlers, which helped India reach the final. Tendulkar finished as the tournament’s highest run-scorer, accumulating 673 runs in 11 innings. Then-captain Sourav Ganguly ranked second on the list with 465 runs.
Rahul Dravid scored 318 runs at an average of 63.60, while Virender Sehwag contributed 299 runs. These performances showed how important it was for India to have multiple batters contributing throughout the competition.
India’s bowlers also played a major role in the campaign. Left-arm fast bowler Zaheer Khan finished as the tournament’s fourth-highest wicket-taker, claiming 18 wickets in 11 matches. Javagal Srinath picked up 16 wickets, while Ashish Nehra finished with 15.
Mohammad Kaif pointed out that several players stepped up alongside Sachin Tendulkar during the 2003 campaign. Yuvraj Singh made valuable contributions with the bat, while Kaif himself scored an unbeaten half-century against New Zealand. Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag also contributed important runs.
The former cricketer also highlighted Ashish Nehra’s match-winning bowling performance against England, Zaheer Khan’s effective spells and Javagal Srinath’s experience as a senior fast bowler. He credited Sourav Ganguly’s captaincy as another important factor behind India’s successful campaign.
Kaif’s message is clear: India cannot expect Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma to carry the team throughout the 2027 ODI World Cup. Although both experienced batters could play important roles, the younger players and the bowling unit must also deliver consistent performances.
India’s strong batting depth offers plenty of options but the team will need to turn that potential into match-winning contributions. The bowling attack will also have to step up, especially in South Africa, where the conditions could present different challenges.
The 2003 World Cup campaign remains an example of how contributions from across the squad can help India compete at the highest level. As preparations for the 2027 tournament continue, India will hope to build a similarly well-rounded team capable of challenging for the title.
Well, Mohammed Kaif certainly makes sense, what do you say?
