India’s last match at the Raipur stadium was in 2023 against New Zealand

The Indian team and fans breathed a sigh after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli led the Men in Blue to a victory against South Africa in the first ODI match. This was a joyous occasion not only because of the return of Sharma and Kohli on the pitch, but also because India is still shaken by the home Test defeat at the hands of the Proteas. However, what’s done is done, and for India, the sole aim is to clean-sweep South Africa in the ODIs, ensuring that the team’s preparation for the 2027 World Cup is on track.

The Men in Blue have already reached Raipur in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh for the second game at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium. Ahead of the game, let us look at Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s stats and performance at the venue.

One game on the cards

The Raipur stadium is one of the newest cricketing venues in India, and therefore, the 65,000-seater has hosted only one international game so far since its inauguration in 2008.

(Credit- Circle of Cricket)

India’s only game at the stadium was against New Zealand on January 21, 2023, which India won by eight wickets, thanks to the ferocious Indian bowling line-up that dismantled the Kiwi batting line-up in merely 108 runs.

Ro-Ko in Raipur

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were part of the squad that played against New Zealand. Against the Black Caps in that game, Rohit Sharma had a better outing, scoring 51 runs in 50 balls at a strike rate of 102.00, including seven fours and two sixes.

(Credit- NDTV)

However, Kohli left the pitch early, scoring merely 11 runs in nine balls at a strike rate of 122.22, including four boundaries. Given that Shubman Gill had scored 40 runs, there weren’t many runs for Kohli to score, even if he had not been out. Nonetheless, Kohli was sent back to the dugout by a Mitchell Santner delivery that landed in the safe hands of Tom Latham.

India scored 111 runs in 20.1 overs and won by eight wickets.

Ro-Ko’s current form

Sharma and Kohli are both in incredible form, having made significant contributions in the first game against the Proteas. India’s former captain Sharma scored a stable 57 in 51 balls, whereas Kohli made 135 runs in 120 balls at a strike rate of 112.50, including five fours and three sixes. By doing so, Kohli also broke Sachin Tendulkar’s record of scoring 51 or more centuries in a single format of the game.

Both Kohli and Sharma will try to keep their momentum going, given every ODI match is a preparation for the 2027 World Cup, so the more and more consistently they score runs, the better their chances of making it to the World Cup squad.