Veteran Indian batsmen Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma put in memorable performances in their final international match in Australia. The duo denied the Mitchell Marsh-led side a whitewash as the team won by nine wickets at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney on Saturday, 25 October.
Virat and Rohit made an unbeaten partnership of 168 runs in just 170 balls for the second wicket. He helped the Indian team chase the target of 237 runs in 38.3 overs. Rohit scored his 33rd ODI century while Kohli, who had registered back-to-back ducks earlier in the series, scored an unbeaten half-century.
We want to thank you too – Virat Kohli
After their match-winning performance, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma joined former cricketers Adam Gilchrist and Ravi Shastri on Fox Sports. The pair, who made their first century partnership together since January 2020, shared memories of their illustrious career in Australia.
During the conversation, Gilchrist thanked the Indian batting greats on behalf of Australia. The former wicketkeeper-batsman also wished him all the best for the upcoming matches and the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Kohli and Rohit remained composed and composed and did not give any direct reaction to the signals. However, Kohli expressed gratitude in return, saying, “No, we want to thank you too.”
Thank you very much for welcoming us here – Virat Kohli
Here Ravi Shastri had a mini heart attack.pic.twitter.com/mT1H1zY1OR
– mutual.stark (@mutualstark) 25 October 2025
During the interview, Ravi Shastri was initially almost nervous by Kohli’s words, as it seemed like he might hint at retirement amid speculations that have been going on for the last two months.
However, Kohli clarified that his message was for the Australian audience. He expressed his gratitude for the support and warmth he received while playing in Australia and the joy he enjoyed competing in front of such passionate fans.
He further said, “We loved coming to this country and playing in front of such a big crowd. We played our best cricket here. Thank you very much for welcoming us here so well. You guys are fantastic and we never felt the lack of support here.”
Rohit Sharma also echoed the same sentiment and said from the heart, “Thank you, Australia!” As soon as both of them finished their farewell remarks.
Virat Kohli became the second highest run scorer in ODIs
Virat Kohli reached a remarkable feat during his unbeaten inning of 74 runs. The batsman became the second highest run scorer in ODI cricket. He overtook Kumar Sangakkara, who scored 14,234 runs in 380 innings at an average of 41.98 in his career, which included 25 centuries and 93 fifties.
Kohli has scored 14,255 runs in 293 innings at an average of 57.71, which includes 51 centuries and 75 half-centuries. He is behind only Sachin Tendulkar, who scored 18,426 runs in 452 innings.
Notably, Kohli also became the leading run-scorer in combined white-ball international cricket (ODIs plus T20Is) with 18,443 runs across both formats. The right-handed batsman overtook Tendulkar’s figure of 18,436.
The 36-year-old batsman is likely to retain his place for the upcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa starting on Sunday, November 30. As per the schedule, the Men in Blue will take on the Proteas in the opening match of the series in Ranchi.
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