Rohit and Virat's farewell from ODIs! Shock to cricket fans: the last series may be in Australia.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli could potentially play their last ODI series against Australia in October, marking the end of an era for the Indian ODI team. The BCCI is working on a plan to give opportunities to young players in preparation for the future.
Sports News: A big change is expected in Indian cricket. After handing over the command to the youngsters in the Test team, now there are indications that the time has come for a change in the ODI team as well. The upcoming Australia tour may prove to be the last series of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's ODI careers. If this happens, it will be the beginning of the end of an era in Indian cricket.
Retirement Follows Test Disappointment
According to sources, if both the players want to continue playing ODI cricket, they may have to play in domestic tournaments like the Vijay Hazare Trophy, just like they had to do in the Ranji Trophy to maintain their place in the Test team. However, due to not being able to perform as expected in tests, they had to retire from this format.
BCCI insiders say that the selectors and team management want to take the team forward with young players, keeping in mind the 2027 ODI World Cup. For this reason, Rohit and Kohli are being considered out of the next ODI plans. Both have already retired from T20 and Test cricket.
Did not announce retirement from ODI
Although both of them have not yet announced their retirement from ODIs, it is likely that the Australia tour in October could be the last chapter of their careers. This three-match series will feature matches at prestigious grounds like Perth, Adelaide, and Sydney, where the performance of both the players has always been impressive.
Rohit Sharma started his ODI career in 2007 and has so far scored 11,168 runs in 273 matches, with his best score being 264. Virat Kohli made his debut in 2008 and has scored 14,181 runs in 302 ODIs. He has 51 centuries in ODIs, which is a record.
When did India play its last ODI match?
India played its last ODI match against New Zealand on 9 March 2025, in which Rohit and Kohli were involved. Since then, India has not played any ODI series. After the departure of Rohit and Virat, the team will need new leadership. Preparations are being made to promote young players like Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Verma, and Rituraj Gaikwad.
Australia ODI series schedule
October 19 – 1st match (Perth)
October 23 – 2nd match (Adelaide)
October 25 – 3rd Match (Sydney)
If Rohit and Virat choose this series as the farewell to their ODI careers, then it will be a respectable ending to a glorious era of Indian cricket.
