Rohit and Kohli to rejoin squad as India heads to Australia for white-ball series

The Indian cricket team will depart for Australia in two separate batches on October 15 from New Delhi to play a three-match ODI series followed by a five-match T20I contest. The decision to split the travel schedule was made due to logistical challenges and limited availability of business-class tickets for the long-haul journey.

According to sources in the BCCI, one group of players will fly out in the morning, while the second batch is expected to leave later in the evening. The team will travel to Perth, where the first ODI of the series will be played on October 19.

This white-ball tour comes immediately after India’s ongoing home assignment against the West Indies, with the second and final Test in Delhi scheduled to conclude on October 14. Players part of both the Test and ODI squads will regroup in the capital before departure.

Rohit, Kohli and Iyer to join in Delhi

Former captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, along with newly appointed vice-captain Shreyas Iyer, are expected to join the rest of the ODI squad in New Delhi ahead of the team’s departure. “Virat and Rohit will touch down in the capital either on the day of departure or a day prior,” a source told PTI.

If the ongoing domestic or international commitments end earlier than anticipated, some players might be granted a short break to visit their families before assembling in Delhi.

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Shubman Gill takes charge of ODI side

In a major decision, Shubman Gill has been named captain of India’s ODI team, succeeding Rohit Sharma. The move reflects the selectors’ focus on future planning and leadership transition. Despite speculation surrounding their ODI futures, both Rohit and Kohli are understood to have conveyed their intent to continue until the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Team dinner hosted by Gautam Gambhir

Before the squad’s departure, head coach Gautam Gambhir has invited all players for a team dinner at his residence in Rajinder Nagar, Delhi. The informal gathering aims to build team spirit and unity ahead of what promises to be a challenging overseas tour.

India’s ODI squad: Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (Vice-Captain), KL Rahul (WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Dhruv Jurel (WK)

India’s T20I squad: Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-Captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (WK), Jitesh Sharma (WK), Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy