The anticipated comeback of Indian cricket stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to international cricket has been delayed. Fans eager to see the duo back in action will have to wait until October.

Following India's impressive performance in the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has accepted a request from current players for a break. After the England series, India has no international assignments until September 10. The next time the Men in Blue will be on the field will be September 10 at the Dubai International Stadium against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in their opening game of the 2026 Asia Cup.

The delay comes after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their respective Test retirements in May 2025. The two legends last played for India on March 9 in the 2025 Champions Trophy final. With the duo focused solely on the 50-over format, their international appearances will be fewer, given the limited number of ODIs in the current calendar.

Initially, Rohit and Kohli's return was expected during India's white-ball tour of Bangladesh in August. However, due to political tensions and diplomatic strains between India and Bangladesh, that series was postponed. The BCCI briefly explored the possibility of a white-ball series against Sri Lanka later in August. However, those plans have also been shelved, with Sri Lanka Cricket denying any such series was confirmed.

India will now resume international duties with the Asia Cup 2025, which begins on September 9 in T20 format. The first possible return for Sharma and Kohli will be during India's tour of Australia in October, where the Men in Blue are scheduled to play three ODIs. The ODI series kicks off in Perth on October 19, followed by the second match in Adelaide on October 23, and the final game in Sydney on October 25.

This break has triggered speculation around the future of the two legends in India's ODI setup. According to reports, neither Rohit nor Kohli is guaranteed a spot in the 2027 World Cup squad, despite their ambitions.

In related news, Shreyas Iyer, who is currently only in India's ODI team, could be in line for a comeback in the T20I and Test team. Iyer is likely to be recalled for India's T20I and Test side when the selectors meet sometime in August to pick the squad for the Asia Cup in UAE, which will be played in the T20 format from Sept 9, and the two-Test series against West Indies from Oct 2 in Ahmedabad.