Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be back in action for India after a month on Wednesday (November 4). The two former India all-format captains last played a competitive cricket match on October 3 in New Chandigarh against the West Indies. In that fixture, Rohit played a knock of 92 runs as an opening batter, while Kohli was sent back to the pavilion for a golden duck by Jayden Seales.
The duo will look to kick off the five-match ODI series against the Black Caps with big knocks, and there will be high expectations from them in the tough away series.
India have not won many one-dayers against the Black Caps in New Zealand, and if India want to end their long wait for an ODI series win in New Zealand this year, Rohit and Kohli will have to step
up.
Kohli has played 11 ODIs against the Black Caps and one each against Ireland and Zimbabwe in New Zealand, and has scored a total of 596 runs in 13 innings.
The right-handed batter from Delhi scored a century in his first-ever ODI against the Black Caps in New Zealand, but was the only one to score a half-century in the last ODI series in New Zealand, which he played way back in 2020.
Virat Kohli’s ODI batting record in New Zealand (innings by innings)
| AGAINST | RUNS | BALLS | 4s | 6s | STRIKE RATE | BATTING POSITION | VENUE | DATE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 123 | 111 | 11 | 2 | 110.81 | 3 | Napier | January 19, 2014 |
| New Zealand | 78 | 65 | 7 | 2 | 120 | 3 | Hamilton | January 22, 2014 |
| New Zealand | 6 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 3 | Auckland | January 25, 2014 |
| New Zealand | 2 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 2 | Hamilton | January 28, 2014 |
| New Zealand | 82 | 78 | 7 | 3 | 105.12 | 3 | Wellington | January 31, 2014 |
| Ireland | 44* | 42 | 4 | 1 | 104.76 | 3 | Hamilton | March 10, 2015 |
| Zimbabwe | 38 | 48 | 4 | 0 | 79.16 | 3 | Auckland | March 14, 2015 |
| New Zealand | 45 | 59 | 3 | 0 | 76.27 | 3 | Napier | January 23, 2019 |
| New Zealand | 43 | 45 | 5 | 0 | 95.55 | 3 | Mount Maunganui | January 26, 2019 |
| New Zealand | 60 | 74 | 6 | 1 | 81.08 | 3 | Mount Maunganui | January 28, 2019 |
| New Zealand | 51 | 63 | 6 | 0 | 80.95 | 3 | Hamilton | February 5, 2020 |
| New Zealand | 15 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 60 | 3 | Auckland | February 8, 2020 |
| New Zealand | 9 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 75 | 3 | Mount Maunganui | February 11, 2020 |
Rohit, on the other hand, has played 14 ODIs in New Zealand and has 437 runs to his name in 13 innings. He has played 12 one-dayers against the Black Caps and one each against Ireland and Zimbabwe.
Rohit has scored four half-centuries in New Zealand, but he hasn’t played a one-dayer in the country since February 3, 2019.
Rohit Sharma’s ODI batting record in New Zealand (innings by innings)
| AGAINST | RUNS | BALLS | 4s | 6s | STRIKE RATE | BATTING POSITION | VENUE | DATE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | DNB | – | – | – | – | – | Hamilton | March 11, 2009 |
| New Zealand | 43* | 74 | 1 | 1 | 58.1 | 4 | Auckland | March 14, 2009 |
| New Zealand | 3 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 13.04 | 1 | Napier | January 19, 2014 |
| New Zealand | 20 | 34 | 2 | 1 | 58.82 | 2 | Hamilton | January 22, 2014 |
| New Zealand | 39 | 38 | 1 | 4 | 102.63 | 1 | Auckland | January 25, 2014 |
| New Zealand | 79 | 94 | 6 | 4 | 84.04 | 1 | Hamilton | January 28, 2014 |
| New Zealand | 4 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 30.76 | 1 | Wellington | January 31, 2014 |
| Ireland | 64 | 66 | 3 | 3 | 96.96 | 1 | Hamilton | March 10, 2015 |
| Zimbabwe | 16 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 76.19 | 1 | Auckland | March 14, 2015 |
| New Zealand | 11 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 45.83 | 1 | Napier | January 23, 2019 |
| New Zealand | 87 | 96 | 9 | 3 | 90.62 | 1 | Mount Maunganui | January 26, 2019 |
| New Zealand | 62 | 77 | 3 | 2 | 80.51 | 1 | Mount Maunganui | January 28, 2019 |
| New Zealand | 7 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 30.43 | 1 | Hamilton | January 31, 2019 |
| New Zealand | 2 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 12.5 | 1 | Wellington | February 3, 2019 |
Both Rohit and Kohli scored one century and one half-century each in India’s last ODI series against West Indies in September-October and their recent form has created a lot of buzz in New Zealand.
