India are set to take on New Zealand in a five-match ODI series, set to commence on November 4th. The importance of the ODI format has grown in the recent past for Indian fans, as they get to watch Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the two batting stalwarts, don the Indian colours. Ahead of the series, here is a small overview of how the two mavericks have fared in 2026.

2026 has produced contrasting but equally compelling ODI campaigns from India's two most decorated batters. Across 12 innings, Rohit has accumulated 604 runs at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 104.67, while Kohli, playing three fewer innings, has put together 552 runs at a markedly superior average of 69.00 and a strike rate of 117.94.

Each batter has contributed two centuries and three fifties in the format this year, and the 223-run difference in their combined context underlines how closely matched their overall influence has been across different opponents and venues. Rohit's highest score of the year is 138, while Kohli's best is an unbeaten 139. With nine innings against Rohit's 12, Kohli's higher average reflects a consistency that the aggregate column alone does not capture.

What is Virat Kohli's record in 2026?

At Indore against New Zealand, Kohli launched his century account for the year with 124 off 108 balls, converting at a strike rate of 114.81. His finest knock came at Thiruvananthapuram, where he remained unbeaten on 139 off 88 balls against West Indies, producing a strike rate of around 158.

Away from those two hundreds, Kohli contributed 93 at Vadodara against New Zealand and registered fifties for India against England at Cardiff and at Lord's. The only significant blemish across his nine innings was a first-ball duck against West Indies at New Chandigarh. Kohli missed the series against Afghanistan with a hamstring injury he sustained during the IPL final. However, he has proved his gargantuan status as the maverick of this format.

What is Rohit Sharma's record in 2026?

Lord's provided Rohit's defining moment of the year. The mercurial opener struck a brilliant 138 in the third ODI against England, making him the first Indian batter to record an ODI century at the iconic venue. Chasing a target of 406 against West Indies, he struck 101 off 75 balls, a knock that doubled as his 35th ODI century and carried him past 12,000 ODI runs, making him only the third Indian batter after Sachin Tendulkar to reach that landmark. Against Afghanistan, Rohit produced a score of 79, his only innings of note in the series.

The one area where his 2026 record shows a dip is against New Zealand: across three innings, he managed only 61 runs in total, a lean run that pulled his overall average down. He will be looking to use this series against New Zealand to redeem himself and fix his record.

Virat Kohli vs Rohit Sharma: 2026 Stats Comparison