Lovers of Indian cricket superstars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have to wait a little bit longer to see the duo back in action in ODI cricket, as they will wait for a two-month break after completing the IPL 2025, to return to business. Then, in a twist of events, Kohli, followed by Rohit Sharma, announced their retirement from Test cricket within days of each other, thus creating a massive rift in the Indian Test team. The new era in the longest game format for India will commence next month from the coming five-Test series against England, as younger players are expected to follow the footsteps of the legends with the bat. However, the industry duo will continue to contribute to the 50-over format. They will not wear India’s blue jersey again until August 2025, as India tours Bangladesh for a three-match ODI series – their first since the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, when they defeated the then-ODI world champions on their own soil and then their bitterest rivals, Pakistan, in the last.
India’s Upcoming ODI Fixtures
Tour of Bangladesh (August 2025): 1st ODI: 17-Aug, Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka 2nd ODI: August 20—Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka 3rd ODI: 23rd of August, Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram Note: There is increasing concern regarding the political riots in Bangladesh, and news is circulating that the tour can be pushed or stayed off.
Tour of Australia (October 2025)
1st ODI: Perth Stadium, October 19 – a venue with a special meaning for Kohli as he scored a century at the stadium last. 2nd ODI: October 23, Adelaide Oval 3rd ODI: October 25, Sydney Cricket Ground.
Tour of India by South Africa
(November–December 2025). 1st ODI: November 30, Ranchi 2nd ODI: December 3, Raipur 3rd ODI: December 6, Visakhapatnam.
Milestones on the Horizon
Having been the prolific batter in the game of ODIs for years, many consider Virat Kohli one of the greatest ODI batters of all time, just 44 runs away from equalling Kumar Sangakkara to seal the second-highest run-scorer in ODIs history. This point might be reached from the first match in Bangladesh, provided the tour takes place. Having the opportunity to significantly climb in the all-time ODI run-scorers table, Rohit Sharma, currently in 10th position with 11,168 runs, could register a rocketing rise. A string of a few consistent innings can see him leapfrogging cricketing greats such as Sourav Ganguly (11,363 runs), Jacques Kallis (11,579 runs), and Inzamam-ul-Haq (11,739 runs).
Looking Ahead
Having no more Test dates for the duo, Kohli and Rohit are now going to prioritize white-ball cricket, and more so as India plans to gather steam for the ICC tournaments. Their leadership, experience, and shape will be necessary in the future as the Indian team deals with high-profile series against Bangladesh, Australia, and South Africa.
