It is familiar territory but in an unfamiliar setting for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. They are back in the Indian team. They are once again the centre of attraction. But this time, the air around the ODI side feels different. It now carries the strong presence of new captain Shubman Gill, who is enjoying a dream start as India’s Test skipper.
The upcoming Australia tour will be the first time Kohli and Rohit will play under a new Indian captain since MS Dhoni stepped down in 2017. This is a big moment for Gill. Not too long ago, he made his debut under Virat Kohli in New Zealand. He then played most of his cricket under Rohit Sharma. Now, he will lead both of them in what will be his toughest challenge as India’s ODI captain in Australia.
WATCH: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill reunite ahead of India’s tour of Australia 2025
The return was warm and friendly. In a video posted by BCCI on its official X handle on Wednesday, Rohit was seen bowing to Kohli, who was sitting in the front row of the team bus. Minutes before that, Gill surprised Rohit by coming from behind and putting an arm around his shoulder.
A smiling Rohit said, “Areyy, Gill! Kaisa hai bhai?” before the two hugged each other. The video also showed Kohli and Rohit meeting each other for the first time since the Champions Trophy final. The two long-time teammates were visibly happy to reunite.
Gill then walked up to meet his first captain, Virat Kohli, inside the bus. Sitting beside Kohli was Shreyas Iyer, who now has a big role to play as India’s new ODI vice-captain.
Young talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Dhruv Jurel, Arshdeep Singh, and Prasidh Krishna were also spotted at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. A few fans gathered outside and managed to get Kohli and Rohit’s autographs.
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India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir and the support staff will join the team later in the evening. The ODI series begins in Perth on Sunday, followed by matches in Adelaide and Sydney. This series will be closely watched as it may give early signs of the future roles of Rohit and Kohli.
