Virat Kohli ignores Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma stops for a quick chat ahead of 2nd ODI in Raipur

NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma appeared unfazed by the growing chatter around their futures, focusing instead on a demanding net session under the floodlights ahead of India’s second ODI against South Africa on Wednesday.


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Speculation has intensified over what lies ahead for the senior duo, especially with the road to the ICC ODI World Cup 2027 now part of the discussion.



But fresh off back-to-back match-winning performances against Australia and South Africa, neither Kohli nor Rohit showed any signs of easing up during training on Tuesday.

Kohli looked sharp and assertive, taking on throw-down experts Raghu (right-arm) and Nuwan Seneviratne (left-arm), who pushed the pace throughout the session. The battle was compelling to watch — Kohli found the middle of the bat repeatedly, though there were moments when Raghu’s extra pace beat him.

Head coach Gautam Gambhir stood positioned between the two nets, observing the session closely.

When Kohli wrapped up his batting, he rested both bats on his shoulders and walked past Gambhir without exchanging a word — a moment that would not go unnoticed considering the recent narrative surrounding Indian cricket.

Rohit, who followed Kohli into the nets and then toward the dressing room shortly after, did pause briefly for a conversation with Gambhir before heading inside.

While all eyes naturally gravitated toward the two senior players, training intensity remained high across the nets as India look to clinch the series after taking a 1-0 lead with Sunday's win in Ranchi.

With the match to be played on a black-soil surface at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium, the batting group trained with intent, showcasing aggression from the outset.

Yashasvi Jaiswal sent multiple deliveries soaring over the leg side boundary, and even rolled his arm over to bowl to Rishabh Pant — the last batter to take his turn in the nets.

The second ODI is scheduled for Wednesday, 3 October. India will be hoping to win and seal the three-match series after taking the opening game. The team is also likely to continue with the same combination.



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