Team India’s departure for the upcoming white-ball series in Australia was filled with smiles, warmth, and camaraderie. The players gathered in high spirits, signaling a blend of continuity and fresh energy for this new phase of Indian cricket.
Image: Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli (Image credit AFP)
The newly-appointed ODI captain, Shubman Gill, was seen sharing a warm hug with former skipper Rohit Sharma, a gesture symbolizing mutual respect and a smooth transition of leadership. Gill also shared laughs with Virat Kohli and exchanged a friendly handshake with vice-captain Shreyas Iyer, setting an incredibly positive tone ahead of the tour.
Inside the team bus, the atmosphere appeared lighthearted yet focused as players interacted freely, underscoring that despite changes in leadership, the strong bond within the group remains intact. The 25-year-old skipper later took to Instagram, posting a picture with Kohli captioned simply: “Down Under.” This photo, capturing the duo’s friendly equation, quickly went viral, garnering over half a million likes within just a few hours.
India is set to play three ODIs and five T20Is in Australia, with both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli making their return to the ODI squad. This significant series marks the beginning of a new cycle leading up to the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, offering a crucial opportunity for the new leadership group to find its rhythm and cohesion.
The ODI series commences on October 19 in Perth, followed by matches on October 23 in Adelaide and October 25 in Sydney. The T20I leg will run from October 29 to November 8.
India’s ODI squad for Australia:
Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (VC), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal.
India’s T20I squad:
Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (VC), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (WK), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar.