With another IPL season in the books, attention turns back to the Indian cricket team’s upcoming schedule. It’s going to be a busy 2026 international programme too. After the team’s visit by Afghanistan ends, there are tours of Ireland, England, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka before the year is out.
While August’s tour of Sri Lanka will focus on a pair of Tests for the ICC World Test Championship, the majority of India’s schedule will be T20 and ODI games. In total, India is playing six ODIs and seven T20Is, with a further three ODIs and three T20Is against Sri Lanka planned in December.
The reason for such a focus on one-day matches is the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027. India wants to decide on its core squad for the tournament early, and that means making tough decisions about two legendary veterans: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Both have now retired from T20I and Test cricket for the national side, but remain available for ODI selection. With Kohli and Sharma eager to make it to the World Cup and bow out at the tournament, the upcoming ODI games are chances for them to prove to the selectors that they still deserve consideration.
Injuries biggest concerns for veterans
Nobody is doubting Kohli and Sharma’s experience and skill, with both making meaningful impacts at the 2025 Champions Trophy. However, there are questions about whether they can hold up to the physical demands of next year’s tournament.
Kohli will turn 39 during the World Cup, while Sharma will already be 40 years old when it starts. Not helping their cases is the fact that both missed the ODIs against Afghanistan with injury.
This will make their appearances against England in July, and Sri Lanka in December if selected, vitally important. To back the action in these series, and all the side’s upcoming games, there’s a MelBet promo code India fans can use.
There’ll be more to these matches than simply showing the selectors that both are fit and match-sharp, too. Both will need to demonstrate how they’ll work as a veteran presence, though here there are absolutely no grave concerns.
Intangibles may be key deciding factors
Former captain Rohit Sharma is still a dressing room authority for India, and would be invaluable in helping new captain Shubman Gill mentor the younger members of the team. There are always high expectations of India at any international tournament, and Sharma would no doubt be dedicated to helping his less experienced teammates cope.
Kohli, meanwhile, has a long history of putting in a good knock when his team needs him the most. He has 54 ODI centuries for India, more than even the 49 posted by the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, and is as nimble with the bat as ever. His last ODI century came as recently as January, scoring 124 off 108 balls.
There are undeniable physical limitations to both Sharma and Kohli, as proven by their missing the Afghanistan ODIs. Still, it could well be their intangibles that end up securing them spots at the World Cup.
With Sharma as influential in the locker room as ever, he can help support Gill’s new leadership. Meanwhile, Kohli’s coolness under pressure at the crease can make him an invaluable asset when India needs a big innings.
The fates of both men will become clearer after the ODI series against England next month. For now, though, it still looks like it would be a monumental decision for the selectors to overlook either.
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