Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli start practice in Ranchi to erase India’s Test shame with ODI redemption vs SA
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Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the two veteran Indian cricketers, have arrived in Ranchi and have begun preparations in the nets ahead of the first ODI between India and South Africa on Sunday.
India has not been in the driving seat, as South Africa defeated them in a humiliating fashion in the two-match Test series, which recently concluded in a one-sided whitewash. This marked South Africa's first Test series win in India since 2000.
After the loss, Indian coach Gautam Gambhir had to bear the heat for letting down the Indian fans. His only chance to restore some honor is defeating the Proteas in a one-sided ODI series. For him, the only positive is the return of the veterans for the ODIs.
Can Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli restore India's lost honor in ODIs?
India suffered a crushing defeat in the ODIs against Australia when they toured them for a 3-match series. Several batters failed to look promising, but all was shadowed by the mystique of the return of the veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will be much more crucial to the Indian Team after Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, and Axar Patel will no longer be part of the Indian playing XI. They will have to lead the way for the Indian team.
They have been spotted practicing in the nets in Ranchi ahead of the opening ODI game between India and South Africa, which will be hosted in the Ranchi Stadium. The two veterans will be leading the charge as KL Rahul takes over as Indian captain for the first time.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in batting practice session together at Ranchi.🔥🤝🏻
— 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢⁴⁵ (@rushiii_12) November 27, 2025
RO-KO show coming🔥 pic.twitter.com/KmJvTjaTx8
Rohit Sharma will enter the South Africa ODIs as the world's No. 1-ranked T20I batter.
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma will be seen taking over the ODI series as the No. 1-ranked ODI batter, and he has made some stunning progress after his return to the format.
Rohit scored a stunning half-century followed by a hundred that helped him take the upper hand over the giants, Australia, and go past Daryl Mitchell, who held the No. 1 spot. He has also been appointed as ICC brand ambassador for the T20 World Cup 2026.
Virat Kohli called in for a Test comeback after a humiliating defeat to South Africa
India lost the South Africa series by a 2-0 margin and faced a crushing defeat. As a result of this defeat, many have called for Virat Kohli to return to the Indian team.
Virat announced his retirement from the Test format back in June, and since then, the Indian team has possibly lost their stability in the Indian batting order. Many players have been considered for the role but have yet to fill in his responsible shoes.
Shubman Gill did a good role but is yet to find someone promising in the no. 3 role of Sai Sudharsan has failed to put on a promising show.
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India National Cricket Team South Africa National Cricket Team India vs South Africa South Africa vs India Rohit Sharma Virat Kohli
