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The excitement among fans intensified when India's two biggest superstars, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, were seen enjoying fun moments together at Eden Park in Auckland.
Ahead of the five-match ODI series opener between the India National Cricket Team and the New Zealand National Cricket Team, Rohit and Kohli caught everyone's attention with their strong bond and cheerful mood during their training session at Eden Park. Amid this, 3 reasons why Rohit Sharma's return as Mumbai Indians captain would be a mistake.
Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma's fun moments in Auckland leave fans delighted
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma both have landed in New Zealand for their last ODI series in the country. The five-match ODI series will get underway on November 4 at Eden Park. Both Kohli and Rohit, who are famously known as the Ro-Ko among the fans and cricket experts, have already hit the nets.
Pictures and videos of Kohli and Rohit spending time together at Eden Park went viral on social media. The former Indian captains were seen chatting, laughing, and enjoying each other's company after their practice session at Eden Park in Auckland on Sunday (November 1).
Their relaxed behaviour once again showed the special friendship they share, giving fans another beautiful moment to enjoy before their final appearance in New Zealand, as they have already retired from Test and T20I cricket. They might end their ODI careers after the ICC ODI World Cup 2027.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are an emotion for cricket fans across the world. From special moments to their batting practice, @CricSubhayan brings you insights from the duo's training session at Eden Park ahead of the first ODI against New Zealand. #NZvIND #ODIs #ViratKohli #RohitSharma
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) November 1, 2026
Auqib Nabi troubles Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli with his swing bowling
Meanwhile, as reported by Times of India, this was the second net session for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, and they got straight into their preparations after arriving at the ground. After a quick warm-up with resistance bands, Kohli started batting in the center of the practice ground.
He first faced throwdowns before taking on Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, and Anshul Kamboj. The three Indian bowlers tested both experienced batters with their disciplined bowling. Nabi used the breeze smartly and made the ball move away from the right-handed batters.
He troubled both Rohit and Kohli by bringing the outside edge into play. Brar bowled at excellent lengths. Kamboj also managed to get movement both ways. Kohli was looking confident in his famous cover drives although some of his shots went in air.
Rohit Sharma struggles against deliveries outside off-stump during practice
Meanwhile, Rohit looked slightly uncomfortable while facing deliveries outside the off-stump. Both batters were comfortable playing balls towards their legs, but Nabi managed to bring the ball back into the right-handers during their practice session in Auckland.
Nabi, who has been included in India's squad for the first three ODI matches against New Zealand, bowled for around one hour with excellent rhythm. Brar and Kamboj also maintained the pressure throughout the session, with the Ro-Ko having a great time. Amid this, Ravindra Jadeja's career over? Cheteshwar Pujara spills truth about all-rounder's ODI future.
Virat Kohli finishes Auckland practice with intense sprints
However, Kohli was not ready to finish his batting session even after facing some challenging deliveries. While Rohit completed his practice and went to rest near the ice box, Kohli called KL Rahul for one final batting session. He then entertained everyone with his powerful batting.
The former Indian captain played pulls, drives, flicks, cuts, and lofted shots, sending one delivery out of the ground. His last batting practice session was close to 10 minutes long and one massive hit even drew the attention of local bowlers working up a sweat in the gym.
After completing his batting practice, Kohli placed two cones on the ground and performed several high-intensity sprints as he worked on both his batting and fitness.
