Play Vijay Hazare Trophy or retire! BCCI's ultimatum for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in ODIs, Australia series could be last - Reports

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are likely to play the ODIs against Australia.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli‘s future in Indian Cricket Team in the ODIs is all set to be in their hands. Since the last few months, especially after their test retirement, there have been a lot of speculations about their availability in 50-over cricket.

Several reports were there as well which claimed that both might retire from the ODIs after the three-match series against Australia in October. This came even after both the stalwarts of the game expressed their desire to play the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027. 

Amid all the talks, a fresh set of reports has claimed that things won’t be straightforward for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli if they have to play the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027. For them to play the tournament, they need to play the Vijay Hazare or else the Australia series would be last for them. 

BCCI’s rationale behind moving on from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli is the growing depth of young players

Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 will be played in December this year, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) wants both the senior players to feature in it. They were also asked to play the Ranji Trophy after the Australia tour earlier this year, but after a few months, they retired from the format. 

The reports claimed that the BCCI’s rationale behind potentially moving on from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli is the growing depth of young players. The selectors are keeping the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 selection cycle in mind. 

If the BCCI doesn’t let them carry on, then this will come as a massive blow as both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been carrying the Indian batting lineup for more than the last decade. They last featured in ODIs during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where both played a major role in the team’s win. 

After the ODI series against Australia, India will be locking horns with South Africa at home in December. In 2026, India’s ODI schedule includes series against New Zealand (January), Afghanistan (June), England (July), the West Indies (September), and another series against New Zealand (October).

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