Under the warm Perth sun, a familiar energy returned to the Indian cricket camp as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma stepped onto the field once again. After months away from international action, the two veterans picked up their bats for their first net session ahead of India’s three-match ODI series against Australia.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) released an official video of the session, giving fans a glimpse of the iconic pair’s return from their first walks into the nets to fan interactions and autographs that followed. Unsurprisingly, the footage went viral within hours.
Here is the video:
https://x.com/BCCI/status/1979019548851384448
Click to watch this video directly on X
This practice marked the first time Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma trained with the national side since the 2025 Champions Trophy. Both had retired from Test cricket earlier in the year and from T20Is in mid-2024, stepping back to focus on limited-overs cricket. Their comeback to the ODI setup, therefore, carries added significance, not just for fans but also for the future of Indian cricket.
Reports suggest that Virat Kohli spent close to 40 minutes in the nets, facing deliveries from Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana and local pacers. The bouncy Perth wicket tested his timing early on, with a few deliveries rising sharply past the bat. Yet, the former captain soon found his rhythm, middling most of his shots and looking calm and confident as the session progressed.
Rohit Sharma, batting nearby, started cautiously. His movements seemed a bit stiff at first, understandable after a long break, but the trademark fluency returned soon enough. By the end of the session, he was striking the ball cleanly and finishing on a positive note.
The return of both the players comes at a crucial juncture. Despite training separately in recent months, Kohli in London and Rohit at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, adjusting to the pace and bounce of Perth is always a challenge.
With the BCCI reportedly exploring long-term options for the 2027 World Cup, this series offers both stalwarts a chance to reaffirm their place. For now, their return has reignited excitement, reminding everyone why these two names have defined an era of Indian cricket.
