Indian Superstars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma Set to Return for Australia Tour

Indian cricket’s bigwigs Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are set to return for the ODI games in Australia. Neither of them has played any international cricket since the completion of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

They have announced their retirement from tests and T20Is, so they will now represent India in ODIs only. The return of these two superstars is a big plus for the Indian team, as they will form the backbone of the team in highly competitive ODI games against Australia.

India’s selection panel, comprising RP Singh and Pragyan Ojha, will meet on Saturday to finalize the squads for ODI and T20I matches in Australia. This is a big tour for India, as multiple big stars will come back to the fold to challenge the Aussies on their home turf.

The tour of Australia is divided into two parts. The first leg will cover three ODIs that will start from October 19 and will run until October 25. After that, India will take on Australia in five T20Is, slated to start from October 29.

The schedule ahead for India is looking quite tough at the moment. They are currently engaged in the test series against West Indies. Once it gets completed, the team will immediately head to Australia to participate in eight white ball games. 

After the completion of the 5th T20I in Australia, India will then head back home to engage with South Africa in a multi-format series. It will start with a two-match test series followed by three ODIs and five T20Is.

Having such back-to-back games on the trot brings a selection headache for India. Right now, it is unclear who will participate in all games across formats for India. 

From Shubman Gill to Jasprit Bumrah, there are various players who are considered vital for India in all formats. Playing them in all matches could prove to be risky for India, as injury concerns can emerge anytime due to excessive workload.

It will be interesting to see how India manages the workload of all these players. The upcoming matches with different teams are important to prepare the team for the T20 World Cup in 2026.

It is expected that the selectors will pick players according to that, so that key stars remain available for India for next year’s mega event.