England may have finished the ODI series with a win, but former South Africa captain AB de Villiers believes the result does not change the bigger picture for India. He feels Rohit Sharma will still have an important role to play in India’s preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup, even though the opener has had his share of inconsistent performances.

AB de Villers on Rohit, Virat's outing vs England

After England swept the T20I series and then won the ODI series 2-1, de Villiers said the presence of experienced players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli made a clear difference to the Indian side.

“You can see the difference that Virat and Rohit make in the team and the kind of belief they bring back into the side,” he said.

AB de Villers on Rohit Sharma's consistency

Rohit had a quiet start to the ODI series, scoring 11 and 26 in the first two matches. But he bounced back in style in the third ODI at Lord’s with a superb 138 off 110 balls. India were chasing a huge target of 388 and eventually lost by 27 runs, but Rohit’s innings, along with Virat Kohli’s 74, kept the chase alive for a long time.

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While praising Rohit, de Villiers admitted that consistency has not always been his biggest strength.

“He’s never been the most consistent player for a long period of time, a little bit up and down consistency-wise. But when the big matches present themselves, the big moments, Rohit Sharma needs to be in your side,” de Villiers said.

Why India need Rohit, Virat in ODI World Cup 2027?

De Villiers believes Rohit’s experience will be extremely valuable for India at the 2027 ODI World Cup. According to him, players like Rohit and Kohli bring something that cannot be replaced.

“You just can’t buy that at the supermarket, guys. What Virat and Rohit bring to the party, especially in pressure moments, changes everything.”

Rohit has already retired from T20Is and Test cricket, and his focus is now only on ODIs, with the 2027 World Cup being his main goal.

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De Villiers said India’s experienced players will be vital when the pressure is at its highest.

“You need that kind of experience in big tournaments. When you play big tournaments, it’s not your usual five-match ODI series in some country where there’s not a huge hype, or you’re not playing a different opposition every game. There’s a whole different kind of pressure when it comes to ODI World Cups and big tournaments, and that’s why I feel Rohit will play a big, big part,” he said.


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