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Despite the masterful performance by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the third and final ODI against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground, which led India to a dominant nine-wicket victory, questions persist regarding the duo's immediate future and, more significantly, their potential inclusion in the squad for the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. While Rohit's unbeaten 121 and Kohli's 74* secured an unbroken 168-run second-wicket stand in Sydney, they also exhibited signs of rustiness throughout the series.
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli's heroics in India's win over Australia
Both Rohit and Kohli, having retired from Tests and T20Is and now focusing exclusively on the ODI format, know they need to play more competitive cricket to maintain their form. There is already considerable speculation about the pair possibly participating in the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy domestic tournament in December 2025. India's ODI captain, Shubman Gill, all but confirmed that senior players might be requested to participate in the tournament, stating that discussions would take place after the ODI series against South Africa later this year.
Shubman Gill on RO-KO's chances of participating in Vijay Hazare
The next international assignment for Rohit and Kohli is the three-match ODI series against South Africa, which begins on November 30. Following the conclusion of that series in December, there are no further ODIs scheduled until a home series against New Zealand in January 2026. Given this gap, the pair may indeed need to play domestic cricket to demonstrate their continued commitment to playing at the highest level. When Gill was quizzed by reporters about Rohit and Kohli potentially featuring in domestic cricket, he simply stated:
“There's not much gap left for the South Africa series. There's a bit of a gap between the South Africa and New Zealand series. Will have discussions after the South Africa series,” Gill said at the post-match press conference.
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