Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma hit the nets in Nagpur ahead of IND vs ENG 2025 1st ODI [Watch]

India's ODI and Test captain Rohit Sharma and former skipper Virat Kohli were spotted fine-tuning their skills in a high-intensity net session on Tuesday, February 4, ahead of the first ODI of the three-match series against England. The opening match is set to take place on Thursday, February 6, in Nagpur.

The second and third ODIs will be held in Cuttack and Ahmedabad on February 9 and 12, respectively. Both seasoned players struggled in their last international assignment, the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, a five-match series that India lost 3-1.

Rohit Sharma had a challenging run, amassing only 31 runs in five innings. On the other hand, Virat Kohli scored 190 runs in nine innings, with an average of 23.75, including one century.

With the focus now on limited-overs cricket, the duo was spotted working hard in the nets, striving to regain their form. The BCCI posted a video on the social media platform X, captioning it:

“Nagpur. Gearing up for the #INDvENG ODI series opener in RO-KO style.”

Both players have stellar records in 50-over cricket. Rohit Sharma has scored 10,866 runs in 265 matches at an average of 49.16, with 57 fifties and 31 centuries. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli has accumulated 13,906 runs in 295 games, boasting an average of 58.18, along with 72 fifties and 50 centuries.

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“These guys are human beings” - Kevin Pietersen backs Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli amid lean patch

Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen supported Indian veterans, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, acknowledging that every cricketer goes through tough phases in their career and that they aren’t robots who can perform in every match. Speaking at the launch of Dram Bell Scotch Whisky, the 44-year-old said [as quoted by PTI]:

"Having had exactly the same challenges in my career, it happens. Rohit and Virat are not robots. They don't walk out there and get a hundred every time they bat. Maybe they had one bad Australian tour. Does that make them bad people? No. Does it make them bad cricketers? Absolutely not.”

“You guys need to understand, these guys are human beings. You give them bamboo now, but at the end of their careers, you look back and how did they make you feel when they played? They made people feel happy,” he added.

After the bilateral series against England, India will turn their focus to the 2025 Champions Trophy, where they have been placed in Group A, alongside arch-rivals Pakistan, Bangladesh, and New Zealand.