Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma reunion in the nets sets the tone as India set to take on New Zealand in Vadodara

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, in form, showcased their batting prowess in a BCCI training clip, setting the stage for the upcoming ODI series against NZ.

The BCCI’s latest training clip did what only Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli can still do in tandem: hijack the cricket conversation.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli batting together in the nets (BCCI X)

In a short video posted of India’s ODI series opener against New Zealand, the two senior batters were shown batting in the nets in the same session - a “RoKo reloaded” moment that instantly lit up social media and reignited the familiar soundtrack “one last run” for India’s most bankable ODI pairing.

Notably, this wasn’t a random montage. India begin a three-match ODI series against New Zealand on January 11 in Vadodara, with the first game scheduled at the BCA stadium, Kotambi. The series then moves to Rajkot on January 14 and concludes in Indore on January 18, giving both sides a brisk, high-intensity three-game stretch.

The BCCI clip keeps it simple: Kohli timing off-drives and working through his range, Rohit rolling his wrists through leg-side strokes. Two icons, doing the basics, reminding everyone that they are back.

The context, though, is anything but ordinary. With India’s squad carrying a new leadership look, Shubman Gill as the captain, the visual of Rohit and Kohli batting together functions like a bridge between eras. For a fan base that measures comfort in partnerships, “RoKo” at the nets is a signal.

For Kohli, the timing is also neat. He comes in with a strong bilateral record against New Zealand and recent 50-over form that has kept his rhythm in the format firmly in the spotlight. Rohit, meanwhile, remains one of the most intimidating openers when he is striking cleanly; a few minutes of crisp bat-swing is all it takes for optimism to climb again.

Crucially, this isn’t nostalgia content for the sake of it, both arrive with form that makes the hype feel earned. Virat Kohli was in outrageous touch in India’s most recent ODI assignment, finishing the home series against South Africa with 302 runs in three matches at an average of 151, a run that included back-to-back hundreds and kept him in the centre of India’s 50-over narrative. Rohit Sharma, meanwhile, logged 146 runs across three ODI in the same series, striking at a tempo that underlined what he still provides at the top: early control, sudden acceleration, and an opening burst that breaks the opposition bowling.

The video sets the mood ahead of the series. The Indian cricket fandom is all set to watch their favourite “RoKo” back in action again.