Perth: Prominent members of the Indian ODI team, including star batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma and new captain Shubman Gill, arrived here early on Thursday for a three-match series against Australia starting on October 19.
Gill, KL Rahul, and the star pair of former captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were among the first batch of players that landed in Perth for the marquee first ODI three days later. Tight security at the airport meant that the fans who came to greet and welcome the ODI outfit had limited access to the Indian side; those waiting outside the team hotel since midnight were also unable to take photos, as the tired players headed straight to their rooms.
Head coach Gaurtam Gambhir and the rest of the coaching staff will join the squad later in the day as they had boarded an evening flight from Delhi on Wednesday.
Shortly after completing a series win over the touring West Indies side across two Tests at home, Gill and several all-format players re-linked with the white-ball to depart for Australia for an eight-match series, including three One-Dayers and five T20Is. While Perth will host the series opener, Adelaide and Sydney will stage the remaining two One-Dayers, before the action moves to the east coast for the five T20Is.
Meanwhile, Rohit and Kohli returning to the ODI side remain the highlight of the forthcoming 50-over series, with the pair donning the Indian colours for the first time since winning the Champions Trophy crown in March early this year. Even though both were active in red-ball cricket by then, their shocking decisions to retire from Tests midway through IPL 2025 extended their return time to Indian cricket.
Gill, who replaced Rohit as Team India’s new Test captain earlier, also assumed ODI captaincy, with head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar backing him in his new role. Although this sudden switch in the leadership group suggests that the decision-makers are preparing a new-look team for the 2027 ODI World Cup, it also fuels speculation that Virat and Rohit might announce international retirements after the three One-Day Internationals.
However, it remains to be seen how all concerned parties are aligned with the team’s goal moving forward.
