When will Indian cricket fans watch Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma play next? It’s earlier than you think

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are expected to return to international cricket in July 2026. Fans will get to watch them play in the India tour of England for a 3-match ODI series. This series will mark their next appearance for the national team after a long gap from international action.

The ODI series against England begins on 14 July, with the 1st match scheduled at Edgbaston, Birmingham. The 2nd ODI will be played on 16 July in Cardiff, followed by the 3rd and final ODI at Lord’s, London, on 19 July.

All three matches are confirmed fixtures and form part of India’s build-up towards the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Kohli and Rohit last played an international match on 18 January during India’s ODI series against New Zealand. They have officially retired from T20 Internationals and Test cricket. Now, they focus only on the 50-over format in the final phase of their careers.

However, fans do not have to wait until July to see them in action. Before rejoining the Indian team in England, both players will be active in the IPL 2026, which runs from 26 March to 31 May.

Rohit Sharma will represent the Mumbai Indians while Virat Kohli will continue with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Also, Afghanistan is scheduled to come to India in June for 1 Test match and 3 ODIs. Virat and Rohit are expected to don the blue again during this time.

He mixed low scores with commanding hundreds, such as 119 against England in Cuttack and an unbeaten 121 against Australia in Sydney. He also played useful supporting knocks in Dubai and at home against South Africa.

The only recent dip came in January 2026 against New Zealand. Across three ODIs, he scored just 61 runs without a fifty. It was a quiet series for the top ODI batter.

He became the fastest batter in history to reach 14,000 ODI runs and later crossed 28,000 international runs quicker than anyone before him.

During the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, he scored his 51st ODI century, including a high-pressure 100 against Pakistan.

Later in 2025, Kohli struck back-to-back centuries against South Africa while chasing. In January 2026, Kohli reclaimed the No. 1 ODI batting ranking for the 11th time as he briefly moved ahead of Rohit Sharma.

The January 2026 ODI series against New Zealand further highlighted his form. Kohli scored 240 runs across 3 matches, including a fluent 93 in Vadodara and a commanding 124 in Indore.

The century was his 54th in ODIs and 85th overall, also making him the batter with the most ODI hundreds against New Zealand.

While there is still time before the 2027 ODI World Cup, fans must hope for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli being part of the squad. Will they lift the trophy before hanging their boots? Let’s see.