MELBOURNE: Australian cricket fans may be witnessing the end of an era, as India’s batting icons Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma could be playing their final One Day International (ODI) series when they tour Australia starting Sunday in Perth.
With nearly 600 ODIs between them, the 36-year-old Kohli and 38-year-old Rohit remain active only in the 50-over format, but their future beyond this three-match series remains uncertain.
India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir avoided confirming whether the veteran duo would continue under new ODI captain Shubman Gill, who will lead the side for the first time in Australia.
Kohli and Rohit last featured for India during the Champions Trophy final in March, where India triumphed over New Zealand.
If this turns out to be their international swansong, they will bid farewell in front of packed crowds in Perth, Adelaide (October 23), and Sydney (October 25), all expected to be filled with fans from Australia’s thriving Indian community.
On the Australian side, several Test regulars including Travis Head, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc will use the ODI series to warm up for the upcoming Ashes.
It marks Starc’s first international outing of the Australasian summer following his T20I retirement.
Marnus Labuschagne, drafted in as a replacement for the injured Cameron Green, will aim to carry his red-ball form into the limited-overs format to strengthen his case for an Ashes recall.
Labuschagne, dropped for the West Indies Test tour, has since struck back-to-back centuries in the Sheffield Shield for Queensland.
Cricket Australia confirmed on Friday that Green had been ruled out of the series due to “low-grade side soreness” sustained in training and will likely return via Shield cricket.
Regular skipper Pat Cummins also remains sidelined with a back issue, putting his participation in the early stages of the Ashes in doubt.
Australia will additionally miss wicketkeeper Alex Carey and spinner Adam Zampa for the Perth opener, with Josh Philippe taking the gloves and left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann getting a rare ODI opportunity.
The three-match ODI series will be followed by a five-match T20I series starting October 29 in Canberra, as both teams gear up for the 2026 T20 World Cup to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
