India captain Rohit Sharma is set to play his first ODI of 2025 on Thursday (February 6) against England. The opening match of the three-game series will take place at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur. Both teams will aim to fine-tune their squads ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy, which begins on February 19 in Karachi, Pakistan.
However, unlike other teams, India will play all their matches in Dubai, as they have declined to travel to Pakistan, the official host of the tournament. Rohit Sharma’s batting form has been under scrutiny following a string of low scores in Test cricket over the past few months.
He struggled in both home and away Test series against New Zealand and Australia. With the Champions Trophy approaching, he will be eager to regain form in the England series. Rohit Sharma has a solid track record at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur, where the first ODI against England will be held.
The 37-year-old has amassed 204 runs in three ODIs at the venue, averaging 68, with a century and a half-century to his name. Rohit Sharma’s last ODI appearance in Nagpur came in 2019 against Australia during the second match of a five-game bilateral series.
After being put in to bat first, India had a shaky start as Rohit was dismissed for a six-ball duck by the end of the opening over. Australian pace spearhead Pat Cummins caused him trouble with the new ball and eventually claimed his wicket, providing his team with an early breakthrough.
Rohit Sharma’s ODI Form Leading Up to ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Rohit Sharma led from the front with the bat during the 2023 ODI World Cup, providing aggressive starts and setting the momentum for his team. He amassed 597 runs in 11 matches at an average of 54.27 and a striking rate of 125. His performances made him the tournament’s second-highest run-scorer, trailing only teammate Virat Kohli, who scored 765 runs.
In 2024, Sharma featured in just three ODIs, all against Sri Lanka. While most of his teammates struggled on the spin-friendly pitches of the island nation, he stood out, scoring 157 runs at an average of 52, finishing as the leading run-scorer of the series across both teams. However, India lost the series 2-0.
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