The much awaited white ball tour of Australia This will mark the grand return of the month Indiaveterans of Virat Kohli And Rohit Sharma For international cricket. This pair wore the India jersey for the last time icc champions trophy 2025Where he led India to a historic title win, their first in 12 years.
After that victory, the two giants parted ways ipl 2025Where Kohli wrote a fairytale moment by winning his first IPL title. However, in a surprising turn of events, both Rohit and Kohli announced their retirement from Test cricket just weeks before India’s red-ball series. EnglandBoth had already retired from T20Is after lifting t20 world cup 2024ODIs have been made their only active international format in the tour starting on October 19.
Is Virat Kohli ready to trouble Australia? Parthiv Patel issued a hair-raising warning
India’s senior players, former wicketkeeper are surrounded by fitness concerns Parthiv Patel Kohli has been backed with confidence to silence the critics once again. Speaking on Star Sports, Patel acknowledged the natural challenge of regaining match rhythm after a long break, but insisted that Kohli’s work ethic and mentality is what sets him apart.
“This question always arises when you play after a long gap. Match fitness is different from practice fitness. We know how much work Virat puts in on his fitness, there has never been any doubt about it. Whenever people have questioned him, he has responded with performances. So my prediction is that Virat Kohli will be the man of the series in the three ODIs against Australia.” Parthiv said.
Patel further said that while Rohit Sharma has reportedly undergone intensive training at the BCCI’s Center of Excellence, Kohli has kept his preparations largely private, but his competitive instincts rarely waver once he hits the field.
“When you play after a long time, this question will always be raised. It will take some time for Virat and Rohit. No matter how much you practice, when you go out on the field wearing an India T-shirt, a lot of things come into play. Obviously, Rohit has worked a lot on his fitness and we know how Virat keeps working on his fitness, so this question will never be asked.” Parthiv concluded.
Also read: 12 players who missed out on a place in India’s 2025 ODI squad for Australia after playing in 2020
India’s next task: ODI series against Australia
India’s transition from red-ball to white-ball cricket will be rapid. With the Test series against the West Indies ending on October 14, most of the players will fly to Perth on October 15 to prepare for the opening ODI on October 19. The tour will feature eight white-ball games, starting with three ODIs before moving into five T20Is.
This series means a lot for Kohli, not just as a comeback but also as a milestone chase. The 36-year-old player needs 54 runs to go ahead Kumar Sangakkara (14,234) and became the second highest run scorer in ODI history, behind only Sachin Tendulkar (18,426). Kohli currently has 14,181 ODI runs at an extraordinary average of over 57, the most among batsmen with over 10,000 runs.
Additionally, Kohli is close to another record, needing 68 more runs to become the highest run-scorer in white-ball cricket (ODI + T20I), surpassing Tendulkar’s combined score in both the formats. With over 26,000 international runs and over 80 centuries, Kohli continues to redefine consistency and stamina, and a strong series in Australia could add another golden chapter to his unique ODI legacy.
