Star Duo Returns to ODI Action
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) generated excitement among cricket enthusiasts on Saturday by releasing fresh footage from Team India's training session at JSCA Stadium in Ranchi. The video offers fans their first look at senior stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma preparing for their highly anticipated return to One Day International cricket.
The experienced batting pair will reunite in Indian blue during the upcoming three-match series against South Africa, which commences on 30th November. This marks their first international appearance since stepping away from T20Is and Test cricket, with the 50-over format now being their exclusive platform for representing India at the international level.
Light-Hearted Nets Moment Goes Viral
The BCCI's social media clip captured a particularly entertaining interaction between Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli that immediately caught fans' attention. While keeping wickets during net practice, Pant witnessed Kohli facing a good-length delivery from a pace bowler.
The former captain elegantly danced down the track and executed a perfectly timed pull shot that left the wicketkeeper thoroughly impressed. Reacting spontaneously from behind the stumps, Pant exclaimed, "Bhai ji, acha ball tha yeh. Tagda maar diya," acknowledging both the quality of the delivery and Kohli's effortless strokeplay.
Milestones Await Indian Batting Greats
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli last shared the field in ODI cricket during India's tour of Australia in October. Their previous partnership proved monumental, with Rohit scoring an unbeaten match-winning 121 runs while Kohli provided solid support with a fluent 74 not out. Their 168-run partnership fundamentally established the foundation for India's victory in that contest.
As the Ranchi series opener approaches, both batting maestros stand on the verge of achieving significant career milestones. Rohit Sharma, who currently occupies the top position in ODI batting rankings, is rapidly approaching the elite 20,000-run mark in international cricket.
The Indian captain has accumulated 19,902 runs across 502 international matches, comprising 4,301 in Tests, 4,231 in T20Is, and 11,370 in ODIs. He requires just 98 additional runs to become only the fourth Indian cricketer to join the exclusive 20,000-run club after Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and Rahul Dravid.
Virat Kohli simultaneously prepares to create history of his own. One more century will elevate him past Sachin Tendulkar for the most hundreds by any batter in a single international format. Both legendary cricketers are currently tied with 51 centuries each in ODI cricket, with Tendulkar's tally achieved in Test matches.
Kohli's next hundred will make him the first batsman ever to reach 52 centuries in one specific format. Remarkably, these two batting greats remain the only players in cricket history to have scored 50 or more hundreds in any single format of the game.
The return of these two batting pillars significantly strengthens the Indian lineup as they prepare to confront the South African challenge in what promises to be an enthralling ODI series.
