Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are two of the most influential players in modern times, both on and off the field. With the pair now retired from Test and T20I cricket, fans can only see them compete during India's One Day International (ODI) matches or during the Indian Premier League (IPL).
However, there is always a possibility for Kohli and Rohit to turn up in domestic cricket in the country. Last season, the duo played a handful of matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Delhi and Mumbai, respectively,
to great effect, with them scoring centuries.
With the 2026-27 Duleep Trophy just around the corner, is it possible for two of India's greatest batters in the 21st century to compete, amongst other well-established India stars?
Will Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma compete in the 2026 Duleep Trophy?
A short answer to whether Kohli and Rohit will play in the 2026 Duleep Trophy is NO. Fans will not see the senior Indian batters in the tournament commencing on August 23.
With the Duleep Trophy a First-Class competition, there is little to no incentive for Kohli and Rohit to compete, having retired from Test cricket more than a year ago.
Kohli's last First-Class game came all the way back in late January 2025 when he turned out for Delhi against Railways in a Ranji Trophy game at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The right-handed batter scored just six runs in the first innings before being dismissed by Himanshu Sangwan.
Rohit, on the other hand, played his final First-Class match in the same tournament, representing Mumbai against Jammu & Kashmir at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy BKC. He scored three in the first innings and 28 in the second before hanging his boots in red-ball cricket for good.
It is worth mentioning that the West Zone squad was announced on Wednesday, July 29, and Rohit was not included in the side. Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad is set to lead the team consisting of the likes of Sarfaraz Khan, Prithvi Shaw, Shardul Thakur and Tushar Deshpande, amongst others.
When will Virat Kohli and Rohit take the field next?
Kohli and Rohit last represented India during the three-match ODI series against England. Despite ending the series on the losing side, the pair showed good form, with the latter becoming the first Indian batter to score a century at Lord's.
The next time fans will be able to see the iconic pair in India colours will be during the Men in Blue's ODI series against the West Indies on home soil. The contest will commence on Sunday, September 27 at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.
