It has been a roller-coaster year for Indian cricket with plenty of events happening on and off the field. Fittingly, it has ended with the team selection for T20 World Cup 2026 and it had some major shocks, including the exclusion of Shubman Gill. The Punjab batter had been the vice-captain of the side till the recent South Africa series and his exclusion is a step towards a new style of selection for India.
This ruthless selection dynamics but seemingly be the hardest challenge for veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, both of whom only play ODIs these days. In fact, there were even talks of their possible retirements before the Australia tour. However, Rohit and Kohli have both shown that they still have more than enough hunger to continue in international cricket.
The year 2025 ends with Rohit at no.1 and Kohli at no.2 in ICC's ODI batting rankings. The two former India captains have been in strong form during the last few matches. Rohit had a century and two fifties in Australia, followed by two fifties against South Africa. Meanwhile, Kohli smashed two centuries and a fifty against South Africa after producing a fifty in Australia.
Once regular skipper Shubman Gill and his deputy Shreyas Iyer return to the ODI XI, it shall be interesting to see what kind of team combination India opts for. That said, Rohit and Kohli are certain to be part of the top-three, at least for the near future. Despite missing two bilateral series, Gill (5th) and Iyer (10th) are still part of the top 10 in the ODI batting rankings.
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The way things panned out for India's T20 World Cup squad, it is safe to say that it is way too early to make predictions about the 2027 ODI World Cup squad. Rohit and Kohli will know that they cannot endure a small lean patch, given how ruthless the selectors have been in taking bold calls over the last two years.
For now, though, it is all good for Rohit and Kohli as they seek to end their career on a high in 2027. Baby steps have been taken in that regard, but a lot more work remains to be done. India have three ODIs against New Zealand in mid-January, after which their next 50-over contest is only after mid-2026.
