Melbourne, October 17, 2025: 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 beginning Sunday in Perth.
With nearly 600 ODIs between them, the 36-year-old Kohli and 38-year-old Rohit remain active primarily in the 50-over format, but their international futures beyond this three-match series remain uncertain.
India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir declined to confirm whether the veteran duo would continue under new ODI captain Shubman Gill, who will lead India for the first time in Australia.
Kohli and Rohit last featured during the Champions Trophy final in March, where India defeated New Zealand. If this series marks their international swansong, they will bow out in front of packed crowds in Perth (Oct 20), Adelaide (Oct 23) and Sydney (Oct 25)—venues expected to draw huge turnouts from Australia’s vibrant Indian diaspora.
On the Australian side, several Test regulars including Travis Head, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc will use the ODI series as preparation for the upcoming Ashes. It also marks Starc’s first international appearance of the Australasian summer following his retirement from T20Is.
Marnus Labuschagne, drafted in as a replacement for the injured Cameron Green, will seek to convert his stellar domestic form—back-to-back centuries for Queensland in the Sheffield Shield—into limited-overs success to press for an Ashes recall.
Cricket Australia confirmed on Friday that Green had been ruled out of the series due to low-grade side soreness sustained during training and will likely return via Shield cricket. Regular skipper Pat Cummins also remains sidelined with a back issue, raising doubts about his fitness for the early stages of the Ashes.
Australia will additionally miss wicketkeeper Alex Carey and spinner Adam Zampa for the Perth opener, with Josh Philippe set to take the gloves and Matt Kuhnemann handed 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 ramp up preparations for the 2026 T20 World Cup, to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
