IND vs NZ: Can Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli End Rajkot ODI Century Drought?

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli face Rajkot test in the 2nd ODI vs New Zealand, with no Indian scoring an ODI century at Niranjan Shah Stadium so far. Both have fifties here and, on a batting-friendly pitch, will target ending the long century drought.

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Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in Spotlight

The two Indian batting stalwarts, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, are expected to hog the spotlight when Team India takes on New Zealand in the second ODI of the three-match series at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on Wednesday, January 14. 

The batting duo featured in the opening match at the Kotambi Stadium in Vodadara, where the Men in Blue secured a four-wicket win over the Kiwis to take a 1-0 series lead. Rohit had a brief yet impactful innings at the top, scoring 26 off 29 balls, including 3 sixes and 2 fours, while Virat Kohli played a match-winning knock of 93 off 91 balls in the hosts' 301-run chase. 

Kohli and Rohit returned to competitive cricket after featuring in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Delhi and Mumbai, as per the BCCI's directive for contracted Indian cricketers to play domestic cricket whenever they are available.

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A Litmus Test for Ro-Ko in Rajkot

Team India played at two venues in Rajkot, Madhavrao Scindia Stadium and Niranjan Shah Stadium. At the former venue witnessed four Indian batters, including Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Navjot Singh Sidhu, and Raman Lamba, scored centuries. At the latter venue, none of the Indian players have scored a century yet, with the highest being three fifties by Virat Kohli. 

The upcoming Rajkot ODI is a litmus Test for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as they look to break India's century drought at the Niranjan Shah Stadium and rediscover big scores at a venue where no Indian batter has yet reached three figures.

Kohli, in particular, has been in an impressive ODI form since October 2025, registering two centuries and three fifties, and will face the real Test in Rajkot, while Rohit will look to record his first century on home soil since his comeback in October last year.

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Virat Kohli's ODI Record in Rajkot

Virat Kohli has scored centuries at several venues in India and holds the record for scoring ODI hundreds at 35 different grounds. However, the ace batter has yet to score an ODI century in Rajkot.  

Kohli played his first ODI match in Rajkot in December 2009 against Sri Lanka, scoring 27  Since then, he has played a total of 4 ODI matches here. In these five innings, Kohli's scores were 15, 77, 78, and 56, respectively. He played two matches against Australia, and one each against South Africa, Sri Lanka, and England

 In Rajkot, Kohli has amassed 253 runs, including three fifties, at an average of 50.6 in five ODI matches. Though the overall record appears good, given the number of matches the former India captain has played in Rajkot, the absence of a century remains a notable gap.

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What Rohit Sharma's ODI Record in Rajkot Says?

The former Team India captain played his first ODI match in Rajkot against South Africa in 2015, scoring 65 off 74 balls. Since then, he registered scores of 42 and 81, both against Australia in 2020 and 2023, respectively. Rohit missed out on the opportunity to score a century twice after crossing the 50+ run mark. 

In Rajkot, the veteran Indian batter has aggregated 188 runs, including two fifties, at an average of 62.66 in three ODI matches. Rohit Sharma holds a good ODI record at the Niranjan Shah Stadium, but he will be keen to convert his starts into a century and end the drought at the venue.

Rohit Sharma has reportedly scored ODI centuries at 26 different venues, both home and away, but Rajkot remains one of the few grounds where he is yet to score an ODI hundred.

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Can Ro-Ko End Rajkot ODI Century Drought?

The Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot is expected to have a batting-friendly pitch with even bounce and short boundaries, making it ideal for high-scoring encounters. Since Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are known for their ability to build long innings and cash in on good batting conditions, both will be keen to convert their starts into big scores. 

Interestingly, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have scored a Test century each at the same venue, adding further intrigue as both look to replicate that success in the ODI format in Rajkot. 

Given the pitch conditions at Niranjan Shah Stadium are expected to favour batters, the upcoming second ODI against New Zealand presents an opportunity for two Indian batting stalwarts o register their first ODI centuries at the venue.