The ICC World Cup 2027 schedule and dates have been announced, and the tournament will run from October 7 to November 21 next year. South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia will host the games at eleven venues—Windhoek, Cape Town, Tshwane, Bulawayo, Johannesburg, Paarl, KuGompo City, Gqeberha, Victoria Falls, Bloemfontein, and Durban.
However, this tournament might also be the last one for many of the legendary cricketers from the participating countries. Numerous players are in their final leg of international cricket, or at least ODI cricket, and will turn out for the final time with one goal: winning the ICC World Cup for their teams. Hence, today, we will see 5 players who might bid goodbye to ODI cricket after the ICC ODI World Cup 2027.
Here are the 5 players who might retire from ODIs after the ODI World Cup 2027:
5. David Miller
David Miller made his South Africa ODI and T20I debut in 2010 and has played 180 ODIs and 140 T20Is thus far. He is perhaps one of the best batters ever to play Test cricket and, at the age of 37 now, is probably playing his final ODI World Cup. He has scored 4762 runs in 180 ODIs, at an average of 42.90 and a strike rate of 104.31, including 8 centuries and 24 fifties, with the best score of 142.
He has been part of several heartbreaks the South African side has endured in the ODI World Cup and might want to call time on his career by lifting the trophy in front of his home crowd.
4. Mitchell Starc
Perhaps the greatest left-arm pacer the world of cricket has ever seen, Mitchell Starc might also be playing his final ODI World Cup in 2027. Starc has been part of Australia’s two World Cup wins in 2015 and 2023 and will aim to finish with three trophies to his name. Starc has 247 wickets in 132 ODIs, at an economy of 5.27 and best bowling figures of 6/28.
Starc is already the highest wicket-taker in ICC ODI World Cup history with 65 scalps in 28 games and will want to add more wickets to that tally and help Australia win their seventh ODI World Cup and end his ODI career on a high.
3. Jos Buttler
Having made his England ODI debut in 2012, Jos Buttler had led the team in the 2023 World Cup as well, where they failed to qualify for the semis. He has, however, won the T20 World Cup 2022 as captain. But this time, he will be free of captaincy duties with Harry Brook leading the side. Buttler will be 27 years old when the World Cup begins and might want to ensure that his final outing in the ICC 50-over event is a big one.
Jos Buttler has made 5678 runs so far in 204 ODIs, at an average of 39.15 and a strike rate of 115.14, with 11 centuries and 30 fifties, including the best score of 162*. His World Cup record is also decent, with 591 runs in 26 games with one century and 3 fifties, but he will want to ensure England has the best chance to win the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup.
2. Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma will be more than 40 years old when the ICC World Cup 2027 begins and is most likely his final outing for India, as he has already retired from Tests and T20Is. He led India to the final of the 2023 World Cup in a dominating performance and will want to correct the heartbreak that happened then.
He is a certified legend of white-ball cricket, with 12028 runs in 290 ODIs, at an average of 49.09 with 35 centuries and 62 fifties, with the best score of 264. He remains the only batter to score three double hundreds in ODIs. His World Cup record is also good, with 1575 runs at an average of 60.57 in 28 games, with 7 centuries and 6 fifties, with the best score of 140. Notably, he scored a record five centuries in the 2019 ICC ODI World Cup and would want to better that record.
1. Virat Kohli
Perhaps the greatest ODI batter of all time, along with Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli has rewritten record books. He has 15109 runs in 316 ODIs, at an average of 59.01 with 55 centuries and 79 fifties and a best score of 183. He has the most centuries in ODIs and has scored a record 765 runs in the 2023 World Cup, in 11 games with 3 centuries and 6 fifties to his name.
Virat Kohli has announced that the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup will be his final outing in India colours and has shown a desire to finish his career on a high, winning his second ODI World Cup title and hitting the winning runs in the final. And every Indian will be praying that Kohli’s wishes come true and India wins their third ICC World Cup title in 2027.
