Amid Kohli's 'easy format' debate, India's road to 2027 World Cup begins

Sanjay Manjrekar recently set off a firestorm with a typically bold and contentious remark about Virat Kohli, claiming that the modern batting legend had chickened out of the Tests and opted for an easier route in international cricket - the ODIs. It needed his brother to counter the widely spread and provocatively controversial statement that has attained viral reach.

"Seems like people cannot run their houses without taking Virat Kohli's name," brother Vikas Kohli said, clearly lashing out at the post without openly mentioning it. That fraternal rebuff is a separate matter, and the jury is still out on whether Kohli actually walked away from Test cricket or was nudged out of the side. His ODI connection, however, is very much relevant in the present context, with an ODI series against New Zealand beginning in 24 hours.

Manjrekar's assertion that ODI cricket is the easiest of the three formats appears to have divided opinion, leaving analysts split - especially as it comes in the context of the three-match series beginning in Baroda on Sunday (January 11). Shubman Gill weighed in on the debate, reminding one and all that if the format were truly so easy, India would not have gone without a World Cup title since 2011.

"I don't think any format is easy. If you look at it, the Indian cricket team hasn't won a World Cup since 2011, so if it was that, he would be winning (the) World Cup every second year. It's easy to say, but I don't think any format is easy, it requires a lot of resilience and a lot of persistence and a lot of determination to be able to win big ICC tournaments," the India skipper noted.

The reason the ODI format is often viewed as the easiest is that for a top-three batter - which Kohli certainly is - it can appear relatively comfortable. The opposition would not strive for a wicket, largely content on containment. Four or five runs an over come like a breeze and the risk levels are comparatively low - arguably the lowest among the three formats.

Adding to the uncomplicated situation are favourable pitches, small boundaries, minimal swing, absence of reverse swing, defensive field positions, fielding restrictions of five inside the circle, good pitches, small boundaries and none too difficult bowlers, particularly in the middle overs, aided by sufficient rest before the matches.

An average player would need to play roughly 60 balls to get to 50 without taking risks and Kohli is no average player. With five fielders inside the circle, a boundary or a six is available for every shot played over the infield. About 80-90 balls in the middle... and an individual century would be there for the taking.

That is a rosy picture about the ODIs. And if only the format was so easy, majority of the 3098 cricketers who have played one-dayers the world over and 260 Indian players would have also played 308 ODIs, scored 14557 runs, with 53 hundreds and 76 fifties at an average of 58.46 and strike at a rate of 93.65...

Kohli did not rack up those numbers merely on easy pitches, friendly field placements, small boundaries, or with swing- and seam-less balls. They are the product of countless hours spent in the nets - much like the sessions Kohli put in at the Kotambi Stadium in Baroda over the past few days - coupled with a disciplined lifestyle, peak physical conditioning, and a ravenous appetite for success. Above all, he did not become "one of the greatest ODI batsmen ever," as Shubman Gill described him ahead of the first ODI against New Zealand, by taking the easy way out.

India will need Kohli in that shape, mental state and with that kind of hunger if the ODI World Cup drought is to be ended in late 2027. The preparation for it effectively begins with the New Year and will stretch for about 22 months, a period during which India are to play around 30 ODIs - starting with the three-match series against New Zealand.

When: Sunday, January 11, 2026 at 1:30 PM local time

Where: VCA Stadium, Vadodara

What to expect: Perfect, friendly weather to begin with means a full match is assured. The pitch is a batter's paradise, and a high-scoring contest is on the cards - unless, of course, one side suffers a collapse.

Team News

India:With Shubman Gill back at the helm, he will naturally take back his place at the top of the order, a move that could confine Yashasvi Jaiswal to the bench. With Mohammed Siraj in the mix, accommodating three specialist pacers will not be easy - meaning one of Prasidh Krishna or Harshit Rana is likely to miss out. It will also be interesting to see whether there is room for all-rounder Nitish Reddy. With Ravindra Jadeja a certainty, the final spot in the XI could come down to a choice between Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar.

Probable XI: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Shreyas Iyer (VC), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh.

New Zealand:With Kane Williamson, Mitchell Santner, Tom Latham, Rachin Ravindra and Jacob Duffy out of the squad, it is largely a second-string ODI side under Michael Bracewell. However, the New Zealanders are coming off three successive series wins against Pakistan, England and the West Indies respectively, and Shubman Gill's side would take them lightly only at their peril.

Probable XI: Devon Conway (wk), Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell (c), Josh Clarkson, Kristian Clarke, Kyle Jamieson, Aditya Ashok, Michael Rae.

Did you know

India are on a seven-match winning streak against New Zealand. They have not lost an ODI to them since 2023. At home venues, India have won seven successive matches against the visitors since 2017.

Since 2020, India won 9 of the last 10 bilateral ODI series at home. The only defeat came against Australia in March 2023. Overall, post the 2023 World Cup, India played five series, wherein they won three and lost two series against Sri Lanka (2024, away) and Australia (2025, away) respectively.

On the other hand, New Zealand is on a four-bilateral ODI series winning streak. Post the last 50-over World Cup, they have won five out of the last six series they played. The only defeat for them came against Sri Lanka in an away series.

What they said

"The team atmosphere is amazing. The players that you named (Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli) have been in this atmosphere for decades, and they are the people who always try to push the Indian cricket team forward. Even in the last series you saw how well they performed, so I think the atmosphere in the team is great right now." - Shubman Gill on the Indian team

"It's always a pleasure to come here to India and play against the Indian side. We want to gain some experience of playing in these conditions and put on a good show for it. And have a competitive ODI series. A month before the T20 World Cup, getting used to a lot of these conditions. We won't be in the same venue, but in general, getting used to the nature of the surfaces that they have." - Michael Bracewell, New Zealand skipper, on the relevance of ODI series for the side