Another ODI series, and once again the spotlight is firmly on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Both have long since stepped away from T20 cricket and have also retired from Tests. At present, Rohit and Kohli play only one format ODIs. That is why whenever an ODI series comes around, excitement among fans peaks at the prospect of seeing the two legends take the field.
Both are also in outstanding form. Virat Kohli was named Player of the Series in the South Africa tour, while before that, Rohit Sharma won the Player of the Series award in Australia, on Australian soil. Now, a three-match ODI series against New Zealand awaits, starting Sunday. Over the next week, the duo are set to dominate discussions once again.
Following BCCI guidelines, both Rohit and Kohli played a couple of matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy ahead of the New Zealand series and scored runs there as well. In doing so, they sent a clear message: despite speculation during the Gambhir era about their participation in the 2027 ODI World Cup, they remain at the peak of their powers.
Rohit was also seen offering batting advice to Mohammed Siraj. As Siraj struggled to connect with a few deliveries in the nets, Rohit stood outside and guided him with technical inputs. However, there was concern when Rishabh Pant suffered a waist injury while taking throw-downs. He stopped batting immediately after the injury and has been ruled out of the entire series.
Shreyas Iyer will be another player to watch closely. Attention will also be on captain Shubman Gill. He has been out of form in ODIs for quite some time and is returning after a long injury layoff. Despite Yashasvi Jaiswal scoring a century when given an opportunity in a recent series, Gill is set to return to the XI, replacing Jaiswal. Naturally, all eyes will be on how Gill performs on his comeback.
