Why were Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma felicitated before the 1st ODI against New Zealand?

Former India captains Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were felicitated by the Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) ahead of the 1st ODI between India and New Zealand at Vadodara on Sunday as a mark of respect for their long and outstanding contribution to Indian cricket. The crowd gave a standing ovation to the senior batters.

Apart from BCA president Pranav Amin, senior officials from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) were also present. ICC chairman Jay Shah, BCCI president Mithun Manhas, vice-president Rajeev Shukla, and India’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar are among the dignitaries attending the first ODI.

Honouring the icons of the game 🫡

ICC Chair Mr. Jay Shah, Baroda Cricket Association President Mr. Pranav Amin and BCCI Office Bearers felicitate #TeamIndia legends Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli👏👏@JayShah | @MithunManhas | @ShuklaRajiv | @ImRo45 | @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/yBxiharONn

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 11, 2026

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Why were Kohli and Rohit honoured by BCA?

A small ceremony was organised by the local cricket body at the Baroda Cricket Association Stadium, also known as the Kotambi Stadium, just before the start of the match. Kohli and Rohit are two of the biggest names in world cricket and are considered modern-day legends of the Indian team. Over the years, both players have played a major role in India’s success across formats.

At present, both Kohli and Rohit are playing only ODI cricket for India. With their careers nearing the final phase and retirement not too far away, the Vadodara match could well be their first and last international appearance at this venue. The stadium has only recently received approval to host international matches, and the BCA likely felt this was the right moment to honour the two senior players.

The local association may have also seen this as a rare opportunity to felicitate Kohli and Rohit, as there is no guarantee they will return to play at this ground again. By holding the ceremony, the BCA acknowledged their achievements and ensured the occasion became memorable for officials and fans present at the stadium.

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On the cricketing front, India won the toss and opted to bowl first against New Zealand. Captain Shubman Gill said the pitch looks good for batting and is expected to get easier in the second innings due to dew. He added that India are trying different team combinations as part of preparations for the 2027 Cricket World Cup.

Meanwhile, India suffered a setback before the match as Rishabh Pant was ruled out of the ODI series after picking up an injury while batting in the nets during Saturday’s practice session at the BCA Stadium. Dhruv Jurel has been named as his replacement in the squad.