Kohli, Rohit Depart for Australia ODI Series; Gambhir to Join Later
Senior Indian stars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were among the first batch of players to depart for Australia on Wednesday ahead of the upcoming three-match ODI series starting October 19.
Joining them on the flight were Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, and pacers Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna, along with members of the support staff. The players were seen arriving at the Indira Gandhi International Airport early in the morning, where a handful of enthusiastic fans gathered to catch a glimpse of their favorite stars.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir and other members of the coaching staff are expected to leave for Australia later in the evening.
India will begin the ODI series in Perth on Sunday, followed by matches in Adelaide and Sydney. The white-ball tour will continue with a five-match T20 International series, set to start on October 29, with format specialists scheduled to leave around October 22.
The upcoming series has drawn considerable attention due to ongoing speculation surrounding the futures of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, both of whom have retired from Tests and T20 Internationals.
Speaking after India’s 2-0 Test series sweep over the West Indies on Tuesday, Gambhir refrained from making any long-term projections regarding the duo’s 2027 World Cup prospects.
“The 50-over World Cup is still two and a half years away. It’s important to stay in the present. They’re quality players returning to the side, and their experience will be valuable in Australia,” Gambhir said at the post-series press conference.