After staying away from cricket for nearly seven months, both the veterans seem rusty on the crease

Indian fans were delighted when veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were added to the squad for the ODI tour in Australia. However, the joy was short-lived as both the legends of Indian cricket failed to score big. While Sharma scored eight, Kohli went home for a duck.

At the time of draughting this article, there are still two more ODI games on the card against Australia, and fans expect the two players to bounce back. However, what happens if they fail to capitalise on the opportunity?

The current scenario

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For the record, before the Australia ODI tour, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s last match was nearly 7 months ago, when the duo played in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Having retired from T20 cricket last year, the duo’s playing time was significantly reduced. Earlier this year, Sharma and Kohli also bid goodbye to the Test format, further detaching themselves from cricket. With no Test requirement, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli aren’t obligated to play in the Ranji Trophy, as advised by the BCCI. In short, their playing time has been limited only to ODI cricket.

India’s ODI schedule

After seven months of rest, Sharma and Kohli have only three ODIs in hand at the moment. India’s next ODI after the Australia series is against South Africa on November 30, which is a gap of over a month. The gap means both Sharma and Kohli will once again be detached from cricket, and there is no guarantee they will get a seat in the following series.

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After three matches against South Africa, there’s another gap of nearly a month before India faces New Zealand for ODIs in 2026. Sharma and Kohli have a gap in ODI cricket, making it hard for them to get out of the rusty zone.

IND-A, the possible way forward

As we are well aware, senior players often refrain from playing in the junior division. Call it ego or pride; no matter the situation, climbing down the ladder simply isn’t an option for senior players, especially stars of Indian cricket who have served the national team for a long time.

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However, given Sharma and Kohli’s present form, they have the option to play three ODI matches for IND-A against South Africa before the senior teams take on each other on November 30.

IND-A has three matches on November 13, 16, and 19 against SA-A, which could give more playing time to Sharma and Kohli and result in wonders.

No doubt about Sharma and Kohli

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There is no doubt about Sharma and Kohli’s abilities, as they have found their form back on countless occasions. However, with more game time from IND-A matches, they could benefit from it. After all, with age, players often lose reflexes, judgement, timing, and understanding of the game. However, if they regularly stay in the game, they may not lose touch completely, as evidenced by their seven-month break.