India’s white-ball tour to Australia begins on Sunday and, even with a T20 World Cup only months away, the focus is far greater on the one-day internationals with one big question hanging over the series – will this be the end of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma?
The 2026 edition of the T20 World Cup will be cohosted by holders India and Pakistan in February and March, but Kohli and Rohit, who played large roles in the victory at the 2024 edition, have retired from the format, along with the Test game.
The next 50-over Cricket World Cup will be cohosted by South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe in October and November 2027, which has long left the question as to whether Kohli and Rohit, 36 and 38 respectively, will be able to reach one more global event for India.
Boasting almost 600 ODIs between them, Kohli and Rohit are now in the spotlight as to whether they have an international future beyond the three-match series, which begins in Perth on Sunday.
media Sport takes a closer look at the situation and the series as a whole.
The pair last played for India in the Champions Trophy final in March in which they beat New Zealand, with Rohit relinquishing the captaincy after the game.
The 2027 World Cup dream appeared slim with head coach Gautam Gambhir tight-lipped when asked this week whether the duo might continue on under new captain Shubman Gill when he leads the ODI squad for the first time in Australia.
Gambhir said he was refusing to look that far even if he does not doubt their quality, while India appear eager to control a transition rather than be caught in its throes.
“Look, the 50-over World Cup is still two-and-a-half years away, and I think it is very important to stay in the present,” Gambhir, who oversaw the completion of the Test series victory against West Indies on Tuesday, told reporters.
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