Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli face BCCI action, stopped from playing again for..

In a recent development, India’s white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, which was expected to take place in August, has reportedly been called off. Sri Lanka Cricket had hoped to utilize a gap in both teams' schedules, but the series will not happen, delaying the return of senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

The BCCI and BCB recently agreed to postpone India’s white-ball tour of Bangladesh from August 2025 to September 2026. The decision was made after security concerns and regional unrest, reportedly influenced by Bangladesh’s anti-India stance. The series was set to include three ODIs and three T20Is.

India-Sri Lanka White-Ball Series Cancelled, Delaying Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s Return

According to Vipul Kashyap from ANI, Sri Lanka Cricket has denied reports of a white-ball series against India, which is expected to take place in the last week of August.

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The potential India-Sri Lanka series had gained traction after the BCCI postponed its white-ball tour of Bangladesh, originally scheduled to begin on August 17. India had recently concluded a five-match Test series against England, which ended in a 2-2 draw.

With the cancellation of both tours, fans have been left disappointed, as it has further delayed the international return of senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who now only feature in ODIs following their retirement from Tests and T20Is.

Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma Set to Return for Australia ODIs in October 2025

With no bilateral series scheduled before the Asia Cup, India’s next assignment will be the 2025 edition of the tournament, which is set to begin on September 9 in the UAE in the T20 format.

Fans will need to wait until October 2025 to see Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in action. Both players remain active only in ODIs. They last played an international match in the Champions Trophy final on March 9, 2025.

Kohli and Rohit are confirmed to feature in India’s three-match ODI series in Australia, scheduled for October 19 (Perth), October 23 (Adelaide), and October 25 (Sydney). This will be followed by a five-match T20I series starting on October 29.

In their last tour to Australia, the hosts won the ODI series 2-1, while India claimed the T20Is by the same margin.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli Have Stellar ODI Records

With their retirements from Tests and T20Is, Rohit and Virat will now feature only in ODI matches. Both have had exceptional careers in the format and have been instrumental in India’s white-ball success.

Virat Kohli is the third-highest run-scorer in ODI history, with 14,181 runs in 302 matches at an average of 57.88, including 51 centuries and 74 fifties. Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, has scored 11,168 runs in 273 ODIs at an average of 48.76, with 32 hundreds and 58 fifties.

In the 2023 World Cup, Kohli and Rohit emerged as the top two run-scorers of the tournament, amassing 765 and 597 runs, respectively. However, there is uncertainty about their roles in the 2027 World Cup plans, as the team may look to transition towards grooming younger talent for the future.

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