Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are set to create history at Lord’s on Sunday, as the two veterans are poised to become the first Indian pair to feature in 400 international matches together. The milestone will be achieved when they take the field for India in the third and deciding ODI of the series against England.
The duo already holds the record for the most international matches played together for India, having surpassed the legendary partnership of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, who played 391 international matches together.
Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene hold the all-time record with 550 appearances as a pair, followed by Tillakaratne Dilshan and Jayawardene with 426. Rohit and Kohli will sit seventh on the elite list with their 400th outing together.
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The two pillars of Indian cricket began their careers around the same time – Rohit in 2007 and Kohli in 2008. Over the last 18 years, they have been the bedrock of India’s batting, leading the country to three T20 World Cups, one ODI World Cup, and two Champions Trophy titles. Both have now retired from T20Is and Tests, with ODIs remaining their only active format. Kohli and Rohit are India’s second and third highest run-scorers in ODIs, with 14,867 and 11,757 runs respectively.
The milestone, however, comes amid intense speculation over Rohit’s international future. According to a report by The Indian Express, the selectors have decided to move on from the 39-year-old opener, with the Lord’s ODI potentially being his last appearance in India colours. Despite the uncertainty, Rohit is set to take the field alongside Kohli to achieve the historic feat.
The series is locked at 1-1 heading into the decider after India won the opening game, chasing down 259 comfortably courtesy of Shubman Gill’s unbeaten 80 and an all-round show from Axar Patel. The hosts struck back, beating the Men in Blue by four wickets in the second game to level the series.
Most Matches Played Together in International Cricket
| Pair | Matches |
| Kumar Sangakkara/Mahela Jayawardene (SL) | 550 |
| Tillakaratne Dilshan/ Mahela Jayawardene (SL) | 426 |
| Kumar Sangakkara/Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL) | 418 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya/Muttiah Muralitharan (SL) | 408 |
| Jacques Kallis/Mark Boucher (SA) | 407 |
| Rohit Sharma/Virat Kohli (IND) | 400 |
| Sachin Tendulkar/ Rahul Dravid (IND) | 391 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya/Chaminda Vaas (SL) | 391 |
