Champions Trophy: Ro-Ko is back on song | Cricket News

DUBAI: When the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy was about to begin, there were plenty of questions revolving around the future of India’s two modern-day greats of the game-superstar Virat Kohli and captain Rohit Sharma.
The debate around even their position in the team-it still stays relevant in the context of Test cricket-was justified, as across the eight Tests in different conditions in the three-Test series at home against New Zealand last year, and in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia after that, the superstar duo – barring Kohli’s century in the first Test at Perth – failed consistently.
However, a change of colour of the ball and the format seems to have done the ‘Ro-Ko’ pair a world of good. In the ODI home series at home against England and then in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, both have inched their way back to their vintage best.
After scoring one half-century (52) in the series against England, and succumbing for 22 while trying to cut leggie Rishad Hossain, Kohli, who was persistently dismissed by deliveries on the channel on or outside the off-stump, was criticised for being vulnerable to spinners too.
However, on Sunday night at the Dubai International Stadium, the 36-year-old, under pressure to deliver against arch-rivals Pakistan in a key Group A match of the Champions Trophy, cracked his 51st hundred- a majestic, unbeaten 100-extending his record to a whopping 51st ODI century, to help India romp to a 242-run chase with 45 balls left in the match.
While he kept unleashing those exquisite cover drives, Kohli ran between the wickets at lightning speed and has taken a few sharp catches at point and in the deep, proving that he is still one of the fittest cricketers around in Team India and perhaps in world cricket.
Struggling at one point to even get into double figures and being forced to opt himself out of the Sydney Test, Rohit, who cracked 119 against England against Cuttack in the second ODI earlier this month to dust off his horrible run, has fired cameos of 36-ball 41 against Bangladesh and 15-ball 20 against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy, providing India with the perfect kind of brisk starts which crack the game open right away. Much to India’s relief, the 37-year-old has rediscovered his lazy elegance.
On Sunday, talking to reporters during the India versus Pakistan match, former India opener Shikhar Dhawan, had brushed off concerns about Kohli’s low returns during the last few months before the batter unleashed his latest masterclass. “It’s a normal phase which every cricketer has faced in his career. For someone who is about to complete 14,000 ODI runs, Virat has a complete idea about his game. He’s also a human being! He’s a very big player. He knows how to make runs. It’s just about one good innings. Once he plays one good knock, this whole pressure (on him), this talk (about his poor form) will vanish quickly. This is why his name is ‘King’ Kohli. He has earned that sobriquet,” Dhawan said.
Pakistan, of course, are in awe of Kohli. In 17 ODIs, the veteran warrior has slammed 778 runs against them, with four hundreds and two fifties, at an average of 59.84, and a highest score of 183 not out.
Asked about how Kohli always manages to score big runs against Pakistan – he was supposed to be out of form coming into this game- Pakistan captain Rizwan Ahmed complimented, “I’m surprised at his hard work. He must have worked really hard. The world says he is out of form, but he comes to these big matches, which the world is waiting for, and easily hits the ball. We don’t want to give him runs, but he plays (well) and gets away from us. As a cricketer, I will definitely praise his fitness level and hard work. We tried hard to get him out, but he took the game away (from us). The whole world said he was out of form, but he did it in this big match.”
Having seen Kohli’s century from close quarters-he scored a fluent 67-ball 56 in a 114-run partnership with the senior batter, Shreyas Iyer said, “I’ve never thought of Virat struggling for runs. It’s just the mindset that he possesses over the years. He’s always hungry for runs and I remember yesterday he had come almost an hour before us for the practice session. He played a few balls, and he was looking as crisp as he looks all the time.”
Asked if Rohit and Kohli-both India’s ageing superstars should make way for the newcomers now, Dhawan asserted, “I feel that the seniors are very important. They pass on their experiences to the youngsters. The youngsters coming into the side should always look up to someone. The seniors’ presence makes a huge difference. Virat’s presence at the crease is very big. The opposition fears him. So, Virat and Rohit have a lot of cricket left in them.”
Dhawan pointed out the value of the quickfire starts that Rohit has been providing, which frees up India from the pressure of the run rate. “It’s not always about scoring a century or a half-century. Like today, Rohit chipped in with a quick 20. That also carried a value. He has created a fearless environment for the whole team. He got out, that’s fine. But he created that energy, and now the other (Indian) batsmen are riding on it,” the retired left-hander pointed out.