The ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 kick-started on October 5, Thursday, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Defending champions England met the team that they defeated in the 2019 World Cup final, New Zealand, to open the tournament this time.
This 10-team World Cup 2023 is going to mark a watershed event as this is the last ODI World Cup for many legendary cricketers around the world. Many of the game’s greats are in their mid and late 30s and are unlikely to be around the time the 2027 ODI World Cup comes.
There are some players who are all but certainly playing in their last ODI World Cups given their age of around 36 years. India captain Rohit Sharma, Australia opener David Warner, the Bangladesh veteran duo of Shakib and Mushfiqur, and England all-rounder Moeen Ali – these five players are 36 years old and are unlikely to be playing in the 2027 WC at the age of 40. Warner has already confirmed that he’s targeting next year’s T20 WC as his international swansong.
Among others, two stalwarts in Virat Kohli and Steve Smith are 34 years old and there is a sense of feeling among fans and experts that both of them could call their time from white-ball cricket by 2024 or 2025 Champions Trophy to focus more on Test cricket.
Ben Stokes has already come out of ODI retirement to play in this World Cup 2023, so we are highly unlikely to see him in the ODI format after this World Cup. This is also most certainly the last ODI WC for the New Zealand pace duo of Boult and Southee; Boult is already not holding a contract with New Zealand board. Mitchell Starc, aged 33, the leading wicket-taker of the last two World Cups, too is unlikely to play white-ball cricket until 2027.
World Cup 2023: best XI of the players who are likely playing their last ODI WC (mentioned with age)
- Rohit Sharma (C) (36)
- David Warner (36)
- Virat Kohli (34)
- Steve Smith (34)
- Ben Stokes (32)
- Shakib Al Hasan (36)
- Mushfiqur Rahim (wk) (36)
- Moeen Ali (36)
- Mitchell Starc (33)
- Trent Boult (34)
- Tim Southee (34)
