Only weeks before the planned selection meeting for the tour of England in late June, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma announced their retirement from Test cricket in a matter of five days. The two mainstays, who had previously retired from T20 internationals after India’s T20 World Cup victory in June 2024 in Barbados, are now only going to play ODIs, the format in which they have excelled.
On May 7, Rohit’s Test career came to an end, capping months of conjecture about his future in the format, much alone captaincy. Kohli made an emotional Instagram announcement on Monday, doing the same. The two announcements came right before the IPL 2025 took a little hiatus.
Fans are eagerly awaiting the next international match, which will feature either of the contemporary legends or both, even if analysts have expressed concern over the void left in the Indian Test team, particularly with the important tour of England approaching.
With the T20 World Cup in early 2026 and the 50-over competition in 2027, the white-ball format will be the norm for the next two years. India has a respectable number of matches planned, suggesting that Rohit and Kohli will continue to play, mostly through 2026. However, India’s tour of Bangladesh in August will be their first international participation since the announcement of their Test retirement. However, there is a lot of uncertainty around the tour and their return will be rescheduled for late October if it is canceled.
List of ODI matches in India’s schedule before the 2027 World Cup
Bangladesh vs India – 3 ODIs (August 17-23)*
Australia vs India – 3 ODIs (October 19-25)
India vs South Africa – 3 ODIs (November 30-December 6)
India vs New Zealand – 3 ODIs (January 2026)
India vs Afghanistan – 3 ODIs (June 2026)
India vs West Indies – 3 ODIs (September 2026)
New Zealand vs India – 3 ODIs (Oct-Nov 2026)
India vs Sri Lanka – 3 ODIs (December 2026)
* – Yet to be confirmed.
Kohli and Rohit to play ODI World Cup 2027?
Many people thought that the Champions Trophy may be the end of their international career because their Test future was in doubt after a terrible tour of Australia. Many devoted supporters were afraid that Rohit and Kohli might do the same in ODIs if India prevailed, as they had done in Barbados after winning the T20 World Cup last summer. However, following the Champions Trophy victory in Dubai, fans exhaled with relief as Kohli and Rohit silenced the criticism and narrative around their careers and future.
At an event a month later, Kohli reaffirmed his intention to play in the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa. “The Next Big Step? I Don’t Know. Maybe Try To Win The Next World Cup 2027,” said Kohli in a viral social media video.
Rohit said on wanting to avenge the 2023 loss in 2027. However, after a pause, he became wary of his statement and quickly added that outside factors play a huge role in determining his selection for the team. In 2027, Rohit expressed his desire to exact revenge for the 2023 defeat. He hesitated for a moment, though, and then swiftly added that external considerations are a major component in his decision for the team.
“It will be good if that happens. Are yeh sab kya puch rahein ho? Yeh sab mein nehi sochta. Apne zabardasti bulwa diya. I just told you that I don’t think that far ahead. But these are big things. Who wouldn’t want to play the World Cup? Would I say I want to sit at home? I would want to play, but a lot of things depend, like my form and how I manage myself,” he said.
