Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma ready for ODI return; duo to play their next match on THIS date

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are set to make their much-awaited return to international cricket in the upcoming ODI series against South Africa. The two Indian cricket icons are currently participating only in ODIs and fans are eagerly waiting to witness their performances on the field. Both players moved away from T20I cricket after winning the 2024 World Cup in Barbados. Rohit announced his retirement from Test cricket in May 2025 and soon after, Virat also decided to quit red-ball cricket.

Both former India captains are still active in ODIs and are expected to continue until after the 2027 ODI World Cup. They have not featured in competitive games since the ODI series against Australia and the final match of this series will be held on October 25.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s return date has been fixed for the first ODI of the South Africa series, scheduled to be held on November 30 in Ranchi. After the match in Ranchi, the series will move to Raipur for the second ODI on December 3.

The last ODI of the series will be held in Vizag on December 6. After this ODI series, the two teams will face each other in five international T20 competitions.

Fans will have to wait for more than a month to see Virat and Rohit in action again. Following the South Africa ODI series, they will compete against New Zealand in three ODIs scheduled for January 11, 14 and 18.

After the New Zealand ODI series, both players will take a break from international cricket for around six months. They will return to the field representing their respective franchises during IPL 2026. Virat has been a part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru since the tournament started, while Rohit will continue to play for Mumbai Indians (MI), the team he joined in 2011 and won five IPL titles.

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