Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are arguably the biggest names among active players in world cricket today. With both veterans having retired from T20Is and Tests, ODIs featuring them now have a massive spike in valuation and hype. The buzz for India's upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand at home is immense, and the speed of ticket sales for the opening match is proof of it.
According to reports, tickets for the Vadodara ODI got sold out in just eight minutes, indicating the craze surrounding the match and entire series. Rohit is currently the no.1 ranked ODI batter while Kohli is just behind him at the no.2 spot in the ICC rankings. The duo had a sensational finish to 2025 through the series against Australia and South Africa.
Their performances in 2026 will be observed from close corners by head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief of selectors Ajit Agarkar, both of whom have been vocal about the need to blood youngsters for the 2027 ODI World Cup. While Gambhir recently praised the form shown by Rohit and Kohli, there are reports which suggest that the two top-ranked ODI batters still have a long way to go to cement their World Cup spot.
However, neither Kohli nor Rohit is ready to go down without a fight. Both senior players recently participated in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, representing Delhi and Mumbai respectively. While Rohit registered a century and a duck in his two outings, Kohli produced a hundred and a fifty in his two knocks for Delhi. In fact, the 37-year-old has also made himself available for one more fixture in the tournament.
With not a lot of ODIs left before the 2027 World Cup, Rohit and Kohli will want to make each game count. As for the public, they are also aware of the sub-plots and we can expect unprecedented support for all the games in this India-New Zealand series. India haven't named their ODI squad for the series yet but Kohli and Rohit are understandably expected to be part of it.
