NEW DELHI: Speculation over the ODI future of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma is once again in the air, but according to those in the know at the Indian cricket board, there is no rush to make a decision on the two stalwarts.
With the Bangladesh ODI series in August cancelled, India’s next 50-over assignment will be an away series against Australia from October 19–25. Whether Kohli and Rohit will feature in ODIs after that tour remains uncertain. Together, the duo boast 83 ODI centuries and over 25,000 runs, but questions linger over whether they can continue until the 2027 ODI World Cup, when they would be 39 and 40 years old respectively.
“If they have something in mind, they’ll communicate it to the BCCI, as they did before the England Test tour,” said a BCCI insider. “For now, the focus is on the T20 World Cup in February, with preparations starting at the Asia Cup T20. The aim is to have the best available squad.”
The BCCI prefers to read the mood and public sentiment before making such sensitive calls, given the massive fan following of both players.
Kohli and Rohit last featured together in the Champions Trophy in Dubai, where Kohli scored a century against Pakistan in the group stage and Rohit hit a fine half-century in the final. Since the IPL, neither has played competitive cricket. Kohli, now based in London, recently posted an Instagram story from an indoor net session, hinting he’s back in training. Rohit, after a UK break, has returned to Mumbai and is expected to resume training soon.
Reports of a farewell ODI for the pair in Sydney on October 25 have been dismissed by BCCI sources, who confirmed no such discussions have taken place.
As for domestic cricket, the Vijay Hazare Trophy starts on December 24, 2025, but before that India will host a three-match ODI series against South Africa from November 30, following three List A games between India A and South Africa A in Rajkot on November 13, 16, and 19.
“Whether they want to play the A games before the South Africa series, and whether the selectors want that, is yet to be seen,” the source said. “The Vijay Hazare Trophy will overlap with a three-match ODI series against New Zealand (January 11, 14, 18), so at best they could feature in two or three games of the domestic tournament.”
