Shastri And Kumble Back Rohit Sharma And Virat Kohli For Australia ODI Series

Former Indian cricketers and experts Ravi Shastri and Anil Kumble have thrown their weight behind veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli ahead of India’s upcoming three-match Australia ODI series , starting October 19 in Perth. Despite retiring from Tests and T20 Internationals, the duo remains key players in India’s ODI setup.

Shastri highlighted the importance of this series as a benchmark for their future, stressing that form, fitness, and hunger will decide their paths, with clarity expected post-series. He compared their situation to Steve Smith’s retirement from ODIs, emphasizing that enjoyment and hunger to compete remain crucial at this stage of their careers.

Kumble urged fans to appreciate Rohit and Kohli’s invaluable contributions and noted Rohit’s freedom from captaincy responsibilities allows him to focus on his batting.

Both players impressed during India’s successful Champions Trophy campaign earlier in 2025 before a break from international matches.

Shastri also pointed to India’s rising white-ball strength, praising young talents such as Tilak Varma, Shubman Gill, and all-rounders like Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel — a sign that the veterans will face healthy competition but also have strong support.