The speculations surrounding the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from One Day Internationals (ODIs) continued to escalate day by day. The veteran batters who retired from T20Is and tests are now active with only one format in their international cricket career.
Rajeev Shukla, the vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has finally broken his silence on this debate. He denied the rumors regarding a potential farewell series for Ro-Ko during the forthcoming Australian tour in October.
Especially, the age factor of Rohit and Kohli has been the hot topic of discussion as they would reach 41 and 39, respectively, by the time the ODI World Cup 2027 commences.
A Clarity on Rohit and Kohli’s Future in ODI Cricket
Addressing the rumors, Rajeev Shukla spoke on a podcast alongside the UPT20 tournament regarding Ro-Ko’s ODI future:
“See! When did they retire from the 50-overs format? Right now, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are the active members in ODIs. So, if they are ready to play, then why discuss the farewell now? Why are you people worrying too much about it?
They have retired from two formats (T20Is and Tests), which has been the starting point of this discussion. Still, they are playing ODIs.
We are very clear with our policy. Till now, the BCCI has never asked any player to retire. Every player has the right to make their own decision, and we will respect that.
But we will guide you to cross the path when that moment comes. But now you people are worried and discussed too much about the farewell. Rohit and Kohli are both playing well. Especially, Virat’s fitness levels have been tremendous, even at this age.
So, my advice is not to get worked up and stressed excessively over this topic” the BCCI vice-president said.
‘No Discussions Have Taken Place’: BCCI Source Clarified
Meanwhile, one of the closest sources to the BCCI cleared the rumors, mentioning that there haven’t been any discussions regarding Rohit and Kohli’s farewell match at Sydney on October 25 (Saturday):
“No! So far, there have been no discussions about this topic. Suppose Rohit and Kohli participate in the Vijay Hazare Trophy; there would be six ODIs. Also, there is an ODI series against Australia and South Africa as well as the three List A games between India A and South Africa A scheduled on the 13th, 16th, and 19th of November.
Now, the question is that if the duo wants to play those List A matches ahead of the ODI series against South Africa.
Also, India’s 3-match ODI series (January 11th to 18th) against New Zealand overlaps with the schedule of Vijay Hazare Trophy (from December 24, 2025, to January 18, 2025). So, they might play two to three matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy,” the BCCI source clarified.
No Competitive Cricket for Rohit and Kohli After IPL 2025
Ever since the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 concluded on June 03 (Tuesday), Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli haven’t featured in any of the cricket matches either at the domestic or international level.
The modern-day star batters lastly appeared in the Champions Trophy 2025 final, where India claimed a thrilling 4-wicket victory over New Zealand to lift the highly coveted trophy. Thanks to Rohit’s 76-run knock in the grand finale, which played a crucial role in India’s triumphant campaign.
After the IPL 2025, Rohit and Kohli were supposed to return for the Bangladesh tour in August 2025. But the white ball series was called off, considering the international commitments of both teams and the security concerns in Bangladesh.
As both cricketers will be donning the Indian jersey after a long gap, their on-field absence over these months led to speculations about their ODI retirement.
Ro-Ko Starts Training Ahead of the Australian Tour 2025
The ODI captain Rohit Sharma, who was in the UK after the IPL, returned to Mumbai and was spotted attending the training session with the former Indian assistant coach Abhishek Nayar.
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli, currently residing in London, has ignited the excitement levels of fans as the images of his post-practice sessions continue to become viral on social media.
The duo of right-handed batters has already commenced their training before returning to white-ball cricket.
After IPL 2025, Ro-Ko will be back to competitive cricket, where they will face off against the Aussies in their own backyard in the 3-match ODI series scheduled on 19th, 23rd, and 25th of October at Perth, Adelaide, and Sydney.
Conclusion
Over the years, the test and T20I squads of the Indian cricket team have witnessed a gradual transition over these years. So, there were rumors that the BCCI could give chances to young players by asking Rohit and Kohli to step down ahead of the World Cup in 2027.
However, Rajeev Shukla’s statement clarifies that the BCCI adopted a cautious approach before making any sensitive decision, considering the fan following of these two cricketers.
Overall, it is understood that these two Indian batting stalwarts have already started working on their fitness to ensure their participation in the next 50-over World Cup.