Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s final chapter? The ODI road ahead after Test retirements

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s final chapter

Only weeks before the selection meeting for the trip to England in late June, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma announced their retirement from Test cricket in a matter of five days. The two mainstays, who had previously retired from T20 internationals after India's World Cup victory in June 2024 in Barbados, will now only play ODIs, the format in which they have excelled.

On May 7, Rohit announced the conclusion of his Test career, putting an end to months of conjecture over his future in the format, let alone captaincy. Kohli made a heartfelt announcement on Instagram on Monday, doing the same. The two announcements were made in the middle of IPL 2025.

Fans are eagerly awaiting the next international match, which will feature either of the contemporary legends or both, even if analysts have expressed concern over the void left in the Indian Test team, particularly with the important tour of England approaching.

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With the T20 World Cup in early 2026 and the 50-over competition in 2027, the white-ball format will be the norm for the next two years. India have a good number of ODIs lined-up, suggesting that Rohit and Kohli will continue to play, mostly through 2026. However, India's trip of Bangladesh in August will be their first international participation since the announcement of their Test retirements. The tour has not yet been finalized, though, and their return will be rescheduled for late October if it is canceled.

The ODI schedule for India prior to the 2027 World Cup is as follows:

India 2025 remaining ODI schedule (as per ICC FTP)

Bangladesh vs India, August 2025 – 3 ODIs (August 17-23)*

Australia vs India, October 2025 – 3 ODIs (October 19-25)

India vs South Africa, Nov-Dec 2025 – 3 ODIs (November 30-December 6)

India vs New Zealand, January 2026 – 3 ODIs

India vs Afghanistan, June 2026 – 3 ODIS

India vs West Indies, September 2026 – 3 ODIs

New Zealand vs India, Oct-Nov 2026 – 3 ODIs

India vs Sri Lanka, December 2026 – 3 ODIs

* – Yet to be confirmed.

Many people thought that the Champions Trophy may be the end of their international career because their Test future was in doubt after a terrible tour of Australia. Many fans were afraid that Rohit and Kohli might do the same in ODIs if India prevailed, as they had done in Barbados last summer. However, following the Champions Trophy victory in Dubai, fans exhaled with relief as Kohli and Rohit silenced the criticism and narrative around their careers and future.

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At an event a month later, Kohli reaffirmed his intention to play in the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa. “The Next Big Step? I Don't Know. Maybe Try To Win The Next World Cup 2027,” remarked Kohli, a video that went viral.

Rohit acknowledged in a recent interview with journalist Vimal Kumar on his YouTube channel that he would like to exact revenge for the devastating defeat in the 2023 ODI World Cup final in 2027, but he was hesitant to commit to playing in the ICC competition.

"It will be good if that happens," Rohit expressed his desire to exact revenge for the 2023 defeat in 2027. He hesitated for a moment, though, and then swiftly added that external considerations are a major component in his decision for the team. "Arrey yeh sab kya puch rahein ho? Yeh sab mein nehi sochta. Apne zabardasti bulwa diya. I just told you that I don't think that far ahead. But these are big things. Who wouldn't want to play the World Cup? Would I say I want to sit at home? I would want to play, but a lot of things depend, like my form and how I manage myself," he added.