When will Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma play next? Both stars return in Jan 2026 for India’s ODI series vs New Zealand. Photo: ANI.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma Next ODI Match Date: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma do not play test and T20 cricket as India’s two cricketing stalwarts, have already retired from these formats of the game. The two legends only play One Day International (ODI) cricket. Virat and Rohit concluded 2025 with stellar performances in the format. Kohli amassed 302 runs against South Africa, including two centuries and a fifty, while Rohit scored 294 runs against Australia earlier in the year, earning the Player of the Series award.
Kohli led the charts for India in ODIs, scoring 651 runs in 13 matches at an average of 65.10, with a strike rate of 96.15. He registered seven 50-plus scores, converting three of them into centuries. His first century of the year came in a high-voltage Champions Trophy clash against Pakistan, followed by two successive tons in the recent series against South Africa.
Rohit Sharma, who captained India to the Champions Trophy title, was later relieved of the ODI captaincy. He scored 650 runs across 14 ODIs at an average of 50, hitting 24 sixes with a strike rate of 100.46. Rohit crossed fifty six times, with centuries coming against England (home) and Australia (away).
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With the ODI season concluding, attention shifts to T20Is as India prepares for the T20 World Cup, beginning with a five-match series against South Africa starting Wednesday, December 9. However, Kohli and Rohit are set to return to international action in January 2026, with India facing New Zealand in a three-match ODI series.
Following the New Zealand series, both players will skip the T20 World Cup, having retired from the shortest format. Their next major commitments will be the IPL 2026 and the home ODI series against England starting July 14, which will serve as the beginning of India’s preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Ahead of the New Zealand series, Kohli and Rohit are expected to feature in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) for Delhi and Mumbai, respectively. The domestic tournament is scheduled to commence on December 24, providing both veterans match practice before resuming their international duties.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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