Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli may have put on a show with the bat to script India’s nine-wicket victory in the third and final ODI against Australia at SCG last month, but questions remain over the ageing duo's future, especially their participation in the 2027 World Cup in South Africa.
Having retired from T20Is and Tests, Rohit and Kohli have now become one-format players for the national team. The Australia series marked their return to international cricket after seven months.
While Rohit returned with scores of 8, 73, and 121* in three games, Kohli bagged two successive ducks before scoring 74* in the series finale.
The experienced campaigners stitched an unbeaten 168-run stand to help India pull off a consolation win in Sydney, but they showed signs of rust throughout the series.
With fewer ODIs being scheduled these days, the BCCI has reportedly mandated domestic cricket participation for the veteran pair to remain match fit.
“The board and team management have conveyed to both of them that they will have to play domestic cricket if they want to play for India. As they both have retired from two formats, they have to play domestic cricket to be match-fit,” a BCCI source told The Indian Express.
As per the publication, Rohit has confirmed his availability to Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) for the Vijay Hazare Trophy but Kohli is yet to clear the status of his participation for the domestic one-day tournament, scheduled to start on December 24.
In fact, Rohit reportedly has informed the MCA that he is ready to feature in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 (SMAT) tournament, which is scheduled to start on November 26.
Not long ago, the BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar reiterated the importance of playing domestic cricket when available, as that’s the only way players can stay sharp for international assignments.
"We made it clear a year, or a couple of years back, that whenever players are available, they should be playing domestic cricket. That's the only way you'll keep yourself sharp and playing cricket, if you've got a long enough break. Whether that's possible with the international cricket you're playing or not, only time will tell, but if the guys are free, they should be playing domestic cricket," Agarkar had said.
It is pertinent to mention here that that Rohit and Kohli will next be in action in the three-match series against South Africa at home, starting November 30. Once this ends on December 6, there are no ODIs scheduled till January 2026 against New Zealand. Hence, they might just have to play domestic cricket to stay match fit and in rhythm.
