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Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are set to return in international cricket

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are all set to make their comeback to international cricket. The two pillars of Indian cricket, who now mainly play in the ODI format, will feature in the one-day squad for the upcoming three-match series against Australia.

The BCCI is likely to announce India’s squad on Saturday (October 4). Rohit and Kohli, who haven’t played for India since the Champions Trophy held in February-March, are expected to make their return.

Both players retired from T20Is after India’s triumphant 2024 T20 World Cup campaign and recently announced their retirement from Test cricket as well. Their exit has left Shubman Gill leading a young and relatively inexperienced batting lineup in the Test series against England and the ongoing one against the West Indies.

The key focus of the selection meeting, however, will be the ODI captaincy, particularly whether Rohit will continue to lead the side. Reports suggest that the selectors intend to speak with him directly about the decision. Meanwhile, Rohit recently passed his fitness test at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

Also Read: Ravindra Jadeja Reacts to BCCI’s Test Vice-Captaincy Decision - Shares His Opinion

India’s Tour of Australia: Full Schedule Released

Along with Rohit and Kohli, most of the players from India’s Champions Trophy-winning squad are expected to be included in the ODI team. This also means that Shreyas Iyer, one of the standout performers and India’s top scorer in that tournament, is likely to keep his place in the squad.

The only uncertainty is whether Shreyas Iyer will also make a comeback to the T20I squad. Since selectors can choose more than 15 players for a bilateral series, both Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who narrowly missed the Asia Cup, are expected to find a place. The selectors will also discuss if this is the right time to include Abhishek Sharma, one of the most exciting players in the current T20 circuit, in the ODI setup.

India’s tour of Australia is set for October–November, starting with the ODI series featuring matches on October 19 (Perth), October 23 (Adelaide), and October 25 (Sydney). The ODIs will be followed by a five-match T20I series from October 29 to November 8. The T20I squad is also expected to be announced along with the ODI team.