Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma both retired from T20I and Test cricket, and now they will only be seen in the blues in ODI cricket. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were last seen in action for India during the team’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 triumph in the UAE earlier this year.
They were set to return to action during India’s white-ball tour of Bangladesh, but the BCCI postponed the tour till the next year due to political tensions. This pushed Virat and Rohit’s return to the Indian cricket team, as they will have to wait till October to be seen in the national colors.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to play for India A before Australia tour
Now, Kohli and Rohit will be making their comeback with the ODI series in Australia later this year. Before this tour, the Indian batting superstars are likely to play for India A in Kanpur next month, while the T20I side will be in action in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 in the UAE.
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Actually, the Men in Blue are all set to play a three-match ODI series in Australia from October 19 to 25. Before that crucial Australia tour, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will have only one chance to regain match fitness while playing in the unofficial ODI series in Kanpur.
Notably, Australia A is scheduled to travel to India to play two unofficial Test matches and three unofficial ODI matches against the India A side. While the red-ball games are slated to be played on September 16 and 23 in Lucknow, the white-ball games will be played in Kanpur on September 30, October 3, and October 5, respectively.
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Will Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma agree to play for India A?
And these 50-over games will be really important for both Kohli and Rohit. A Dainik Jagran report suggested that Virat and Rohit will turn up for India A in the unofficial ODI series against Australia A in Kanpur to attain match fitness and get some game time under their belt before their much-awaited return in blue.
They have not played an ODI since the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 earlier this year, so playing against Australia A could help them prepare better for the crucial Australia tour later this year.
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After the Australia tour, India will host South Africa for the ODI series in November. Ahead of the Proteas series, India A and South Africa A will also play three ODIs in Rajkot on November 13, 16, and 19. But the big question is whether they will play for India A.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s ICC World Cup 2027 dream in jeopardy
The report also claimed that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are both no longer part of India’s plans for the ICC World Cup 2027. By then, Kohli will be 39 and Rohit 40 years old. As reported by Dainik Jagran, Rohit and Kohli might be forced to play domestic cricket again if they wish to continue after the Australia tour, just like they did after the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
However, both senior batters failed to regain form and eventually retired from Test cricket. Now, the BCCI wants both Indian batting greats to feature in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025 for their state teams later this year. It is being said that Rohit and Kohli could announce retirement on the Australia tour.
Sources claimed that the Indian team management and selectors are already planning ahead with the ICC World Cup 2027 in focus. With a long list of young talents waiting for chances, the think tank felt Rohit and Kohli no longer fit into India’s future ODI plans.
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