Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma featured in all three matches of India’s recent ODI series against New Zealand, which ended in disappointment for the Men in Blue as they suffered a 1–2 defeat on Sunday, January 18. The loss marked India’s first-ever home ODI series defeat against New Zealand.
World No. 1 ODI batter Kohli had a productive series with the bat. He began with a well-composed 93 off 91 balls in the opening ODI at Vadodara’s BCA Stadium on January 11, followed by a modest 23 off 29 balls in the second match at Rajkot on January 14. In the series decider at Indore’s Holkar Stadium on Sunday, Kohli struck a fighting 124 off 108 deliveries, but his effort went in vain as India fell short while chasing a daunting target of 338.
Kohli finished the series as India’s leading run-scorer with an aggregate of 240 runs. In contrast, Rohit endured a lean patch, managing scores of 26, 24 and 11 across the three matches.
Following the series, both senior batters are set to be away from international cricket for the next four months. Having stepped away from T20Is, neither Kohli nor Rohit features in India’s immediate international schedule, and the Indian Premier League in April and May further rules out any international assignments during that period.
The duo will next be seen in competitive action during IPL 2026, with Kohli representing Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rohit turning out for Mumbai Indians. Their next potential appearance for India is expected in July 2026, provided they remain active in the ODI format.
India are scheduled to tour England in July for a white-ball series comprising five T20Is and three ODIs. The one-day matches are set to be played in Birmingham on July 14, Cardiff on July 16, and at Lord’s on July 19.
As per the ICC’s Future Tours Programme (FTP), India are also slated to play one Test and three ODIs against Afghanistan in June 2026, although official confirmation for the series is still awaited.
After the England tour, the Men in Blue will host West Indies for a three-match ODI series at home before travelling to New Zealand for another three-match ODI assignment. India are also scheduled to play three ODIs against Sri Lanka at home in December 2026, according to the FTP.
