Virat Kohli soaring higher than anyone, Rohit Sharma down in the dumps: The Adelaide rollercoaster for India legends | Cricket
As India prepare to take on Australia in the second ODI at the iconic Adelaide Oval on Thursday, all eyes will once again be on two of the biggest names in Indian cricket: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. While the venue has been a happy hunting ground for Kohli over the years, Rohit returns to Adelaide searching for answers and form in what could be a defining series for the veteran opener.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma
For Kohli, Adelaide has long felt like a second home. The former India captain boasts an enviable record at the venue, having amassed 975 runs in just 12 international matches, the most by an Indian at the ground. From unforgettable centuries in Test cricket to fluent limited-overs knocks, Kohli’s bat has rarely gone silent in Adelaide.
With the series locked and Australia eager to bounce back, Kohli will once again be looked at to anchor the innings and build on his remarkable legacy at a ground where he has historically thrived under pressure.
Rohit’s worst record at Adelaide
For Rohit, however, the story is strikingly different.
Nicknamed the ‘Hitman’ for his white-ball exploits, the 36-year-old made an underwhelming return to international cricket in the first ODI at Perth, scoring just eight runs off 14 balls. The timing was off, the footwork looked rusty, and the spark that once made him one of the most feared openers in world cricket seemed dimmed, at least for now.
Rohit’s history at Adelaide doesn’t inspire much confidence either. In 12 matches and 15 innings across formats at the venue, he has managed only 287 runs at a disappointing average of 19.13. This is the second-worst average among all Indian batters who have scored a minimum of 100 runs at the venue. In ODIs alone, he has played six games here, scoring just 131 runs at 21.83, with a highest score of 43.
His most recent outing at Adelaide, during the 2025 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, was a forgettable one with scores of 3 and 6 in a pink-ball Test. Dismissed by Scott Boland and Pat Cummins, Rohit looked a pale shadow of his best red-ball self, raising fresh questions about his longevity in top-flight cricket.
But this is a format where Rohit has historically flourished, and the stage is set for a comeback. Having worked on his fitness post-Test retirement and drawn confidence from his IPL form, he knows this five-match ODI window — two games in Australia followed by three at home against South Africa — could well be his last chance to push for a spot in the 2027 World Cup squad.
The pressure is not just internal. A new generation of openers is knocking on the door. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhishek Sharma, and Prabhsimran Singh have impressed in the domestic circuit and List-A formats, pushing selectors to consider a changing of the guard. For Rohit, a failure to deliver in Adelaide could intensify those discussions.
Yet, history also reminds us that Rohit Sharma has often delivered his best when his back is against the wall. With the ball likely to come onto the bat better at Adelaide and conditions expected to favour stroke play, the second ODI offers the perfect platform for redemption.
