Rohit Sharma (1714) and Virat Kohli (1710) rank among the top ODI run-scorers since 2023. Is it fair to call them for the Vijay Hazare Trophy?
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are two of India’s, if not the world’s, greatest ODI batters of all time. They have been prolific in this format, amassing numerous runs in both ICC tournaments and bilateral series. They are in the last leg of their careers, and it is expected that the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 will be their final swansong to this beautiful game.
They deserve to play this tourney and lift the sacred trophy that eluded them for long. The stats below just show why.
Most runs by an Indian batter in ODI since 2023
| Batter | Innings | Runs | Highest Score | Average |
| Shubman Gill | 40 | 2088 | 208 | 59.65 |
| Rohit Sharma | 37 | 1714 | 131 | 48.97 |
| Virat Kohli | 34 | 1710 | 166* | 61.07 |
| Shreyas Iyer | 30 | 1308 | 128* | 48.44 |
| KL Rahul | 33 | 1283 | 111* | 58.31 |
Shubman Gill, India’s newest Test skipper, leads the runs chart in the format, and the two veterans closely follow him behind. Rohit & Kohli have only been outscored by Gill & the Sri Lankan trio of Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, and Pattum Nissanka, who have all played more innings.
Of the 39 batters who have scored over 1000 runs in the format since 2023, Kohli’s average of 61.07 is the best, and Rohit’s SR of 117.23 is only bettered by Heinrich Klaasen and Travis Head. Such has been their impact on the Indian ODI team, and their exploits were one of the reasons why India reached the 2023 World Cup final and won the Champions Trophy 2025.
This shows they have been the torch bearers for India in this format not just in the last two years but for more than a decade. They haven’t done anything wrong for anyone to question regarding their place as far as the ODI format is concerned.
Despite the fact of having such a phenomenal record in ODIs, there have been talks from the close circles that the duo need to play List A (Vijay Hazare Trophy) cricket before playing for India. Whether this is absurd or fair, we will delve upon it here.
Read More: Since 2023, India have struck at SR of 100.26 in PP1 in ODIs, bettered only by Australia (107.05)
Why is it a fair call?
Unlike the decades gone by, the frequency in which the ODI matches are being played have drastically reduced. The fact that India has played just 46 ODIs since the start of 2023 as opposed to 77 in the previous World Cup cycle (2017-2019) tells us the stark decline in the format. Also, the men in blue are slated to play just 24 ODIs ac
cording to the FTP enroute the 2027 World Cup to be held in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
With the Rohit-Virat duo not playing the other formats for India anymore, they have these 24 games and IPL to play before the World Cup. So naturally there could be a thought with the management that, do these games enough both for their form and fitness. It would be better for these legends to play as many 50-overs games as possible. That’s why, asking them to play the Vijay Hazare Trophy seems to be fair.
Two of the best in the business
On the other hand, they have done enough for the country to warrant themselves in arguably their best format. Afterall, Virat is the second highest run-getter in ODIs and Rohit has accumulated over 11000 runs. Their form as depicted has also been extraordinary for them to walk into any side.
Even in the fag end of their careers, both Rohit and Virat have been at par or even at times, surpassed the modern-day best batters in the format.
With respect to fitness, they know better than anyone else on how to maintain having been playing for so many years. Considering all this, the necessity of asking them to play Vijay Hazare Trophy does seem absurd.
Read More: Report suggests Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli’s future in ODIs under cloud as well
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