After years of dominance across all cricket formats, Indian cricket icons Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have officially stepped away from Test matches, marking the end of an era. Their Test retirement announcements—just days apart—came ahead of the selection for India’s crucial England tour in June 2025. While both had earlier exited the T20I format following India’s memorable World Cup victory in June 2024 at Barbados, their focus now shifts solely to One Day Internationals (ODIs)—a format they have ruled with consistent performances.
Rohit Sharma concluded his red-ball journey on May 7, 2025, amid prolonged speculation over his Test captaincy and role. Shortly after, Virat Kohli made an emotional retirement statement on Instagram, leaving fans in shock. The news arrived as the cricket world took a pause from the ongoing IPL 2025 season, making their retirement announcements even more prominent.
With only ODIs left in their international cricket journey, many are wondering how long these legendary batters will continue. India is scheduled to play at least 24 ODIs before the 2027 ICC World Cup in South Africa, offering Kohli and Rohit a chance to continue contributing significantly to Indian cricket.
The white-ball calendar until 2027 is packed. While their first appearance after stepping away from Tests may be delayed until August during the tentative Bangladesh tour, fans eagerly await their return. Should the Bangladesh series get cancelled, their next outing might be during the Australia tour in October 2025.
Here’s a look at India’s upcoming ODI schedule until 2027:
India’s Remaining ODI Fixtures Before 2027 World Cup (As per ICC FTP)
- Bangladesh vs India – August 2025 (3 ODIs) – Pending Confirmation
- Australia vs India – October 2025 (3 ODIs)
- India vs South Africa – November to December 2025 (3 ODIs)
- India vs New Zealand – January 2026 (3 ODIs)
- India vs Afghanistan – June 2026 (3 ODIs)
- India vs West Indies – September 2026 (3 ODIs)
- New Zealand vs India – October to November 2026 (3 ODIs)
- India vs Sri Lanka – December 2026 (3 ODIs)
There had been speculation that the ICC Champions Trophy could be the swansong for both players. However, after India’s strong performance in the tournament held in Dubai, both Kohli and Rohit dismissed such rumors. Instead, their eyes are firmly set on continuing their ODI careers.
Virat Kohli, speaking at a public event, confirmed his aspirations to participate in the 2027 World Cup, saying, “Maybe try to win the next World Cup 2027.” The comment quickly went viral and reassured fans about his continued presence in the team.
In a YouTube interview with Vimal Kumar, Rohit Sharma expressed a similar desire. He mentioned wanting to avenge the 2023 World Cup heartbreak, though he remained cautious in giving a full commitment, noting that factors like form and fitness would ultimately determine his selection.
“I would want to play but a lot depends on how I manage myself,” said Rohit. “Who wouldn’t want to be part of the World Cup? But it depends on form fitness and selection.”
While retirement from Tests has signaled a new phase for both cricketers, their ODI careers are still alive—and perhaps their most important challenge lies ahead: the 2027 World Cup in South Africa.
