November 19, 2023 will forever be a haunting day for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. While the latter was part of an ODI World Cup win in 2011, this was their chance to possibly sign off on a high in the 50-over format.
Maybe, Kohli would have carried on regardless, considering his fitness regime but the T20 World Cup win in 2024 could most certainly have pushed him to call it quits in white-ball cricket. In that case, who knows, he may well have prolonged his Test career. For Rohit, it certainly would have meant complete retirement, given that he then went on to win the T20 World Cup as captain. Remember, they went on to win the ODI Champions Trophy this year too. In hindsight, the 2023 ODI World Cup win would have completed the trophy cabinet for them as a senior duo and given Rohit the captain a flawless trophy legacy.
However, the reality is that they were so near yet so far as Australia riding on a Travis Head masterclass became World Champions in the ODI format. At that point, not many thought about the consequences of this defeat, given that neither of the veterans had any retirement plans.
Fast forward to August 2025 and both are only active in ODI cricket. The iconic T20 World Cup win in 2024 was the last game in the shortest format for Rohit and Kohli as they announced their retirements on a high. For Test cricket, Rohit had an unceremonious exit, having allegedly been dropped for the final match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia in 2024-25. Although Rohit had claimed to have dropped himself, he didn't play a game thereafter and announced his retirement from the longest format in May 2025. A few weeks later, Kohli also shocked the cricketing world by announcing his Test retirement. The fact that both had underwhelming returns in recent times did play a part in their decisions. Now, that means that ODIs are the only thing they have on their roster. But, here is a catch.
The next ODI World Cup is in 2027, which is still two years away and both veterans will be closer to 40 by the time the tournament comes around. Age isn't really a big criteria these days but the fast-evolving nature of white-ball cricket means that the dynamics could change during the next 24 months. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) were surprised to see Rohit and Kohli prolong their ODI careers. The alleged understanding was that they might quit after the Champions Trophy, especially as India ended up as champions. However, Rohit had clarified at the post-match press conference itself that he is planning to continue. This puts the BCCI in a dilemma and reports suggest that they will have a meeting with the duo soon.
With India fresh off an impressive start to their Test transition under Shubman Gill and having enjoyed T20I success under Suryakumar Yadav, the time may not be far away when it comes to phasing out Rohit and Kohli from ODI cricket as well.
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"Yes, it will be discussed soon. We still have more than two years for the next World Cup (November 2027). Both Kohli and Rohit will be pushing 40 by then, so, there has to be a clear plan ahead for the big event as our last win was in 2011. We also need to try out a few youngsters in time", a BCCI source said to PTI.
Since their retirements from Test cricket, there has been debates regarding their ODI future. Considering that their exits from the longest format didn't seem like a planned move, it remains to be seen whether they are given the farewell route in ODIs or not. When asked about this, the BCCI source opted to be diplomatic. The problem for the duo is that they now only play ODI cricket, which means that there are lengthy gaps between their competitive cricket phases. Since the Champions Trophy final, neither have had any form of competitive cricket in the 50-over format and they could be told to participate in the Vijay Hazare Trophy later this year.
"Look, both Kohli and Rohit have made huge contributions to white ball cricket for the team and the sport in general. They have achieved almost everything.
"So, I don't think nobody's going to force their hand, but there will be some honest and professional conversations before the next ODI cycle starts to see where they stand mentally and physically. It depends on that."