Indian cricket stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are all set to return to international cricket as the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee prepares to announce squads for the upcoming white-ball tour of Australia. Rohit and Virat, the two talismans of Indian cricket, currently featuring only in the ODI format, are set to be part of the one-day squad for the three-match series in Australia.
As per IANS report, the Indian ODI And T20I squads for the Australian tour, could be picked by the selectors on Saturday, October 4, 2025, but its announcement timing depends on when the first Test against the West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is over.
Notably, it will also be the first meeting RP Singh and Pragyan Ojha will attend as national selectors after being appointed as new members of the five-member panel at the BCCI AGM on September 28.
“There’s been a steady enquiry on fitness status of all players who are in frame to be picked for the tour. Now up to the selectors on who they pick for which format for the Australia trip,” said sources aware of the developments to IANS on Friday.
When Did Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma Last Play For India?
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who had stepped away from T20Is after a winning 2024 T20 World Cup campaign, retired from Test cricket in May this year. They have not appeared in India colours since the Champions Trophy in February-March, earlier this year.
Although they haven’t featured in competitive cricket since IPL 2025, both Rohit and Kohli have been steadily preparing for a hectic stretch of ODI fixtures in the coming months. Rohit even visited the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru to fine-tune his batting and work on his fitness.
Focus on Work Load Management And Injury Issues
India’s tour of Australia will kick off with three ODIs, scheduled for October 19 in Perth, October 23 in Adelaide, and October 25 in Sydney, before moving on to a five-match T20I series from October 29 to November 8.
In terms of player availability, while most of the core group is expected to be retained for both formats, there is still no clarity on Hardik Pandya’s fitness for the Australia tour. The star all-rounder had suffered a quad injury during India’s Super Over victory against Sri Lanka in the T20 Asia Cup and subsequently missed the final. If Pandya remains unavailable for the entire Australia tour, Nitish Kumar Reddy could join Shivam Dube for the seam-bowling all-rounder slot options.
On the other hand, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been progressing well in the rehab at CoE for a fractured right foot. But his availability depends on what the selectors decide on seeing his fitness report during the selection meeting. With KL Rahul set to take the gloves in ODIs, Sanju Samson could be drafted in for the 50-over games as second keeper and retain his place in the T20I team.
The selectors are also likely to consider resting Jasprit Bumrah, Shubman Gill, and Kuldeep Yadav, given the demanding schedule and extensive travel in Australia. It remains to be seen whether Gill, Bumrah, and Kuldeep are given time off at the beginning or midway through the tour, especially with India set to host South Africa for a two-Test series, starting on November 14 in Kolkata.