Cricket Australia (CA) CEO Todd Greenberg expressed that the upcoming home ODI series against India could mark the final visit to Australia for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. He said if this is their final tour, Australia would be keen to give the legendary duo a memorable farewell.
Kohli and Rohit recently stepped away from T20Is after leading India to victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA. They also called time on their Test careers last month. Now aged 36 and 38 respectively, both players are expected to focus solely on ODIs.
Speaking to reporters about the exciting fixtures lined up in Australia, Greenberg shared his sentiments (as quoted by TOI):
“This might be a summer like we’ve never seen before, just in terms of the amount of content. And if you think about the quality of the players coming, particularly from India — this might be the last time we get to see Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma play in our country.”
“If that’s the case — who knows, it might not be — but if it is, we want to make sure we give them a great send-off and acknowledge the incredible contribution they’ve made to international cricket.”
He further added:
“I think we saw real momentum last year on the back of the BGT series — you know, some record-breaking ticket sales. And I anticipate that we’ll see a number of sellouts across the summer, really starting in August and going through until March.”
India are scheduled to face Australia in a three-match ODI series, with games set to be held in Perth, Adelaide, and Sydney between October 19 and 25. Following the ODIs, the Men in Blue will take part in a five-match T20I series from October 29 to November 8.
Virat Kohli And Rohit Sharma bid Farewell To Test Cricket In Australia
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma played their final Test matches during India’s 2024–25 tour of Australia. However, the farewell series didn’t go as hoped, as both veterans endured a tough time with the bat, contributing to India’s 1-3 series loss. Kohli began the series on a high note, crafting a brilliant second-innings century in the opening Test at Perth.
But his form declined sharply thereafter, finishing the five-match series with just 190 runs at an underwhelming average of 23.75. Rohit Sharma had an even more difficult outing, managing only 31 runs across three Tests at a poor average of 6.20. Struggling with form, the then-captain even opted to step aside for the final Test of the series.
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