Kohli-Rohit ODI future: All you need to know before India vs Australia ODIs

Despite T20 being BCCI's priority before the 2026 World Cup, Kohli and Rohit face scrutiny as a young Test team's heroics in England spark calls to back youth.

The air around Indian cricket is thick with speculation. Will Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma—two of the game’s modern-day legends—walk into another ODI series after Australia? The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) isn’t rushing to decide. With the Bangladesh ODI series scrapped, India’s next 50-over challenge comes against Australia from October 19 to 25. What follows for the pair is anyone’s guess. 

What is the latest on Kohli and Rohit in ODI cricket?

 

Kohli and Rohit have retired from Test and T20 cricket. The duo is set to return to international cricket in Australia for a three-match ODI series. Notably, Rohit remains India’s designated ODI captain, as the BCCI has not provided any update on that front. Despite T20 cricket being the BCCI’s priority ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup, the spotlight on Kohli and Rohit intensified after a young Test team performed brilliantly in England, prompting calls to back younger players. This has raised the question of whether the two stalwarts of India’s 50-over cricket will retire after the ODI series in Australia.

 

 

As we await the squad announcement for the Asia Cup 2025, Business Standard looks at what fans need to know about the Kohli-Rohit ODI future.

 

Whispered plans of an India A tune-up

 

Inside the BCCI corridors, one idea is gaining quiet momentum—getting the duo match-ready by slipping them into a couple of India A fixtures. Australia A, with young dynamo Jake Fraser-McGurk in its ranks, will be in India for three List A clashes in Kanpur on September 30, October 3, and October 5. The twist? These games will run alongside the senior team’s opening Test against the West Indies in Ahmedabad.

 

The race against time

 

Together, they boast 83 ODI hundreds and over 25,000 runs. But can Kohli and Rohit stretch their dominance to the 2027 ODI World Cup? By then, Kohli will be 39, Rohit 40. According to a BCCI insider, “If they have something in mind, they will tell the BCCI like they did before the England Tests. The immediate focus is on the T20 World Cup in February and fielding the best squad for the Asia Cup T20.”

 

Walking the tightrope of public sentiment

 

The BCCI understands the weight of public emotion. Haste is not an option when dealing with two players whose every move is followed by millions. The last time the pair featured together in a major ODI event—the Champions Trophy in Dubai—they delivered: Kohli struck a century against Pakistan, while Rohit crafted a sublime half-century in the final. Since the IPL, however, both have been away from competitive cricket, having already retired from Test cricket and T20 Internationals.

 

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Photo: Sportzpics for BCCI

Signs of a return to the nets

 

In London, Kohli has been hinting at a comeback, sharing an Instagram story from an indoor nets session. Rohit, after his UK break, is back in Mumbai and expected to get back to training soon. Rumours of a farewell game in Sydney on October 25 swirl, but BCCI sources insist nothing of the sort has been discussed.

 

India's domestic cricket: A calendar packed to the brim

 

The Vijay Hazare Trophy begins on December 24, 2025. Before that, India will host South Africa for an ODI series starting November 30. An India A versus South Africa A series in Rajkot—featuring three List A matches on November 13, 16, and 19—adds to the schedule.

 

An important question is whether Rohit and Kohli will want to play those A games before the South Africa ODIs — and whether the selectors will approve it. The New Zealand ODIs in January overlap with the Vijay Hazare Trophy, meaning that even if they appear in the domestic event, it would be for no more than two or three matches.

 

Virat Kohli runs in ODI cricket 

Virat Kohli international career
Format	Matches	Innings	Runs	Balls faced	Highest Score	Average	Strike Rate	Not out	Fours	Sixes	Half-century	Hundreds	Double hundreds
Test	123	210	9230	16608	254	46.85	55.58	13	1027	30	31	30	7
ODI	302	290	14181	15192	183	57.88	93.35	45	1325	153	74	51	0
T20	125	117	4188	3056	122	48.7	137.05	31	369	124	38	1	0
IPL	267	259	8661	6519	113	39.55	132.86	40	771	291	63	8	0

 

Rohit Sharma runs in ODI cricket 

Rohit Sharma international career
Format	Matches	Innings	Runs	Balls faced	Highest Score	Average	Strike Rate	Not out	Fours	Sixes	Half-century	Hundreds	Double hundreds
Test	67	116	4301	7538	212	40.58	57.06	10	473	88	18	12	1
ODI	273	265	11168	12034	264	48.77	92.81	36	1044	344	58	32	3
T20	159	151	4231	3003	121	31.34	140.9	16	383	205	32	5	0
IPL	272	267	7046	5334	109	29.73	132.1	30	640	302	47	2	0

  (With inputs from PTI)