The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) currently has a two-month empty slot. After the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy ends on August 2, the next official match will be the start of the domestic season against the West Indies. Meanwhile, the Asia Cup 2025 schedule is only for three weeks. Nothing is certain for the rest of August. In this empty slot, the talk of the Sri Lanka tour had raised hopes, especially for those who are waiting for Rohit Sharma’s ODI and Virat Kohli’s ODI comeback.
Both legends are now seen only in the ODI format. This is the only platform where they play for the country after retirement from Tests and T20s. In the year 2025, India will have only six ODI matches – three each against Australia and South Africa. In such a situation, the importance of every series has increased.
Fate of the SL vs IND ODI series in doubt
The Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC) had proposed a series of three ODIs and three T20 matches to the BCCI after the Lanka Premier League was postponed. The hope of seeing Virat Kohli back in form in ODIs arose when talks started between the two boards regarding this series. The final decision was to be taken during the ICC meeting in Singapore.
Colombo and Kandy were considered as possible venues. SLC would also have got financial benefits by playing with India. At the same time, the team was also in dire need of international matches. Sri Lanka’s T20 team has lost the last series against Bangladesh.
What’s next for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma?
However, on Wednesday, there was a big headline when a report quoted a BCCI source as saying that this series “does not look possible”. This once again put the prospects of the ODI series in limbo.
If this tour is cancelled, then Virat Kohli’s ODI and Rohit Sharma’s ODI comeback can now be directly against Australia in October. Both have been away from the field since winning the Champions Trophy final in March 2025.
The BCCI is now at a decisive juncture. If it gives the green signal to the Sri Lanka tour, then Rohit Sharma’s ODI return will be considered certain. At the same time, fans will also be able to see him once again in the Indian jersey in the Virat Kohli ODI avatar. The decision is expected in the next 48 hours, but every passing day is making this series more doubtful.
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