Ro-Ko in action: When will Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma next play for India in ODIs?

New Delhi: The focus was firmly on the senior duo of Virat Kohli and in India’s recently concluded five-match ODI series against New Zealand. Both Kohli and Rohit played all five matches as at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Sunday, November 15.

The senior duo endured a difficult run, with neither managing to reach the 100-run mark individually in the five-match series. Matt Henry dismissed Rohit and Kohli for ducks in the first over of the fourth ODI, which India lost by a big 244-run margin. They again failed to counter the swinging conditions in the fifth ODI and departed cheaply.

Matthew Fisher dismissed Rohit for seven, while Kohli only managed to score five in the series decider. The veteran opener finished the ODI series with only 30 runs in four innings, which is one of his poorest bilateral performances ever.

Rohit’s average of 7.5 was his second-lowest in an ODI bilateral series in which he batted at least four times, with his only poorer return coming during India’s 2010 tour of Sri Lanka, where he averaged just 2.5.

Lowest avg for Rohit in an ODI series (min. 4 innings)

2.5 vs Sri Lanka, 2012
7.5 vs New Zealand, 2026*
9.8 vs South Africa, 2018

Kohli endures worst ODI series in 12 Years

Kohli delivered a brilliant performance in the first ODI, smashing 74 runs off 51 balls, but failed to deliver after that. He ended the series with just 86 runs in four innings at an average of 21.5, which is his second-worst performance in a bilateral series since India’s tour of England in 2014 (average 18).

Lowest average for Kohli in a bilateral ODI series (min. 4 innings)

18 vs England in 2014
21.5 vs New Zealand, 2026*
31.8 vs Sri Lanka, 2008

The fourth ODI also marked only the second time in 16 years that both Rohit and Kohli were dismissed for ducks in the same match. The previous instance came against Sri Lanka in Dambulla in 2010, when the senior duo fell without scoring in the same innings.

When will Virat and Rohit return to action for India next?

India will next take on New Zealand in a two-match Test series, beginning on November 19. However, Rohit and Kohli will not feature in the series, having retired from Test cricket. The duo will return to action during India’s three-match home ODI series against Sri Lanka, which will start on December 13 in Visakhapatnam. They are expected to feature in the three-match home ODI series against Zimbabwe, beginning on January 3, 2027.

India vs New Zealand ODI series schedule