Kohli and Rohit will return to action during the ODI series, starting November 4 in Auckland.
The five-match ODI series between India and New Zealand is slated to get underway on Wednesday (November 4) at Eden Park, Auckland.
This series marks the return of veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who are set to play their first ODI matches since the home assignment against West Indies in September-October.
The 50-over series, which is part of both teams' continuing preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup in Africa, will be crucial for both batting stalwarts as they play only one format at international level.
Ahead of the first ODI, former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara stated Kohli has a better chance of scoring a century in New Zealand than Rohit because the former bats at number three in a steady anchor role, while the latter’s opening role requires him to attack during the powerplay.
“The way Rohit bats, he has a role of providing good starts in the powerplay. In New Zealand, maybe that role changes, so he could go for a century," Pujara said on Jiostar. “But for Virat, the chances are slightly higher because he bats at number three. His game is more about playing the anchor role."
“So, for a batsman coming in at number three, scoring a century in the ODI format becomes a bit easier. The opener’s role is also defined, but in New Zealand conditions, that changes a bit. So, I feel Virat has more chances of scoring a hundred in New Zealand than Rohit," he explained.
Under Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as head coach, Team India have achieved unprecedented success in white-ball cricket, winning the Champions Trophy 2025, T20 World Cup 2026 in addition to Asia Cup 2025.
However, that success has not translated to the traditional format. With Gambhir at the helm, India have won nine, lost 10 and drew three of their 22 Tests so far, which includes a couple of clean sweeps against New Zealand (0-3) and South Africa (0-2) at home.
Pujara emphasized that the upcoming two-Test series against New Zealand carries massive weight for coach Gambhir. Hence, he believes the dual-format stars like Shubman Gill and KL Rahul would have been better served skipping parts of the limited-overs schedule to focus on red-ball preparations.
“This Test series, for me, is a decisive one for Gautam Gambhir and Indian fans. So, I would have liked players like KL Rahul and Shubman Gill, who are playing both formats, to focus only on Test cricket," Pujara stated.
“Because now you have to prepare for the ODIs and, after that, the Tests. So, I would rather have given them one or two months to go and practise with the red ball. Just like they beat us here in India, we should beat them there," he remarked.