Cricket powerhouse Virat Kohli has officially made his return to India on Tuesday, ending a four-month break as he prepares to rejoin the ODI squad for their upcoming tour of Australia. Fans at New Delhi airport were eager to catch a glimpse, but Kohli moved quickly through the terminal, heading directly to his vehicle to link up with the team.
Following his triumph leading Royal Challengers Bangalore to their maiden IPL 2025 title, Kohli had embarked on a four-month sabbatical in London with his wife, Anushka Sharma, and their two children. This extended break meant he was absent from India’s summer tour of England, having previously retired from Test cricket in mid-May.
The highly anticipated India vs. Australia series schedule is as follows:
One-Day Internationals (ODIs):
– October 19: First ODI in Perth
– October 23: Second ODI in Adelaide
– October 25: Third ODI in Sydney
Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is):
– October 29: First T20I in Canberra
– October 31: Second T20I in Melbourne
– November 2: Third T20I in Hobart
– November 6: Fourth T20I in Gold Coast
This series is particularly significant as it marks Kohli’s return to the international arena since the Champions Trophy earlier this year. His performance will be closely watched, especially with continuous discussions surrounding his long-term future in this format of the game.
The full Indian ODI squad for the Australia tour includes:
Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (Vice-Captain), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (Wicketkeeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (Wicketkeeper), and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Previously, chief selector Ajit Agarkar had remained tight-lipped about the long-term roles of both Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the context of the ODI World Cup. Their selection for the Australia series, however, hinted at a critical ‘perform or perish’ situation. Nevertheless, India’s newly appointed ODI captain, Shubman Gill, was quick to dispel any uncertainties, emphasizing that the invaluable experience and match-winning prowess of Kohli and Sharma are absolutely essential for India’s 2027 World Cup aspirations.