The BCCI on Saturday shared a new video from Team India’s training session at the JSCA Stadium in Ranchi, giving fans a glimpse of senior stars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as they prepare to return to ODI cricket. The three-match series against South Africa begins on November 30 and the experienced pair will be seen back in blue after stepping down from T20Is and Test cricket. At the international level, they now only appear in the one-day format. In a clip posted online, a light-hearted moment involving Rishabh Pant and Kohli caught the attention of fans. Pant held at the nets as the pacer delivered a good length ball to Kohli. The former captain danced down the track and produced a clean shot that impressed Pant. Pant reacted immediately, saying from behind the stumps, “Bhai ji, acha ball tha yeh. Tagda maar diya,” praising both the delivery and Kohli’s effortless timing. Rohit and Kohli last played an ODI together during the tour of Australia in October. In that game, Rohit produced an unbeaten match-winning 121, while Kohli backed him up with a smooth 74 not out. Their 168-run partnership set the tone for India’s victory. As the Ranchi opener approaches, both batsmen are on the verge of major milestones. Currently at the top of the ODI batting charts, Rohit is closing in on the 20,000-run mark in international cricket. He amassed 19,902 runs in 502 matches, including 4,301 in Tests, 4,231 in T20Is and 11,370 in ODIs. The Indian captain needs just 98 more to become the fourth Indian to enter the elite 20,000-run club after Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli and Rahul Dravid. Kohli is also on the verge of making history. Another hundred will move him past Tendulkar for the most centuries in a single international format. Both the legends are currently tied with 51 tons, with Tendulkar’s total coming in Tests. Kohli’s next century will make him the first to reach 52 in one format. Only these two greats have managed to score 50+ hundreds in any single format of the game.
