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Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will most likely return to international action only four months later when India travel to Australia for three ODIs. (Reuters)
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly said that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will face a stern test to keep themselves fit and motivated to play only ODIs for India following their recent Test retirements.
The senior Indian duo have limited themselves to only the ODI format after having announced their T20I retirements last year after India lifted the T20 World Cup in Barbados. With India only playing a handful of 50-over matches, Rohit and Kohli, who last featured in the IPL 2025 season will have reduced game time in international cricket this year.
Having lost an opportunity to clinch the ODI World Cup and made amends during the Champions Trophy triumph in Dubai earlier this year, Rohit and Kohli have reportedly been keen to push on for the next 50-overs World Cup in South Africa in late 2027.
‘Not easy’
“It won’t be easy, fifteen games a year. I’ve got no advice. I think they know the game as much as I do, and they (Rohit & Virat) will make their own decisions. But all of us must understand that, like everyone else, the game will eventually move on from them, and they will move on from the game,” Ganguly told PTI in an interaction.
The former BCCI president also stated that he believed Kohli could have had a great run in England, had he chosen to continue in Tests.
“Retirement should happen when people ask ‘Why?’ and not ‘Why not?’ As a player, you always know your place. He knew he didn’t have the best of 5 years in Tests but champions like him find ways to rediscover themselves. If Virat was on this England tour, I’m confident he would’ve scored heavily. But he felt it was time to go,” Ganguly said.
Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir had recently said that the doors will remain open for both stalwarts to feature in the next World Cup until they keep performing.
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“Look, it’s still a long way away. We still have a T20 World Cup before that, and that is again a huge tournament that is going to happen in India, which is in February-March. So the entire focus at the moment, after England, will be on the T20 World Cup, and November-December 2027 is still two-and-a-half years away. And I’ve always said one thing – if you keep performing, age is just a number,” he said ahead of the tour to England.
When will Kohli and Rohit next play for India?
With a tour to Bangladesh in August in limbo, Rohit and Kohli will most likely return to international action only four months later when India travel to Australia for three ODIs in a limited-overs tour. India are then slated to play 21 more bi-lateral ODIs up until January 2027 according to the ICC’s FTP schedule.
India 2025 remaining ODI schedule (as per ICC FTP)
Bangladesh vs India, August 2025 – 3 ODIs (August 17-23)*
Australia vs India, October 2025 – 3 ODIs (October 19-25)
India vs South Africa, Nov-Dec 2025 – 3 ODIs (November 30-December 6)
India vs New Zealand, January 2026 – 3 ODIs
India vs Afghanistan, June 2026 – 3 ODIS
India vs West Indies, September 2026 – 3 ODIs
New Zealand vs India, Oct-Nov 2026 – 3 ODIs
India vs Sri Lanka, December 2026 – 3 ODIs
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