India’s white-ball tour of Australia begins on Sunday, but even with the T20 World Cup just a few months away, all eyes are on the one-day international with one big question surrounding the series: Is this the end for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma?
The 2026 edition of the T20 World Cup will be co-hosted by hosts India and Pakistan in February and March, but Kohli and Rohit, who played a major role in the victory in the 2024 tournament, will retire from the tournament along with the Test games.
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The next 50-over Cricket World Cup will be co-hosted by South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe in October and November 2027, but questions have long lingered over whether Kohli and Rohit, aged 36 and 38 respectively, will be available for India to play in another world tournament.
Kohli and Rohit, who have around 600 ODIs between them, are now in the spotlight as to whether they have an international future beyond the trifecta starting in Perth on Sunday.
Al Jazeera Sports is looking into the situation and the series as a whole.
When was the last time Kohli and Rohit played for India?
The pair last played for India in the Champions Trophy final against New Zealand in March, with Rohit relinquishing the captaincy after the match.
What is being said about Kohli and Rohit’s futures in India?
This week, head coach Gautam Gambhir remained tight-lipped when asked if he would continue the partnership under new captain Shubman Gill, who will lead Australia’s first ODI team, with the dream of the 2027 World Cup appearing to be out of reach.
Gambhir said India appears to want to control the transition rather than get dragged into the pain, but refuses to think that far, even if there is no doubt about their quality.
“Look, we still have two-and-a-half years until the 50-over World Cup and I think it’s very important to stay current,” Gambhir, who oversaw the Test series win against West Indies on Tuesday, told reporters.
“Obviously they are quality players who are coming back and their experience will be second to none in Australia.
“Hopefully those two guys can have a successful tour and more importantly as a team we can have a successful series.”
Rohit, who captained India in the 2023 ODI World Cup final, will turn 40 by the time of the next 50-over showpiece event.
Kohli, who was part of India’s 2011 World Cup-winning squad, may have a better chance at being two years younger.
Brace yourselves…they are 𝘽𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙄𝙣 𝘽𝙡𝙪𝙚𝙨 🔥
Rohit Sharma 🤝 Virat Kohli
🎥 Watch on loop as the duo gears up for #AUSvIND 💪 #TeamIndia | @ImRo45 | @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/u99yHyFfwJ
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 17, 2025
Will Kohli and Rohit be the only questions for India in the World Cup?
The future of all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who turns 37 in December, is also uncertain.
Jadeja was part of the team that recently won the Champions Trophy, but was left out of Australia’s 50-over squad.
Jadeja still hopes to play in the next World Cup and said there was an explanation for his dismissal, allaying the drama that has dogged the big man’s absence.
“It’s good that they have told me the reasons behind my omission,” Jadeja said during the second Test against West Indies.
“But the next time I get a chance, I’m going to try to do what I’ve been doing for many years.
“It’s everyone’s dream to win the World Cup. We narrowly missed out on winning last time, but we hope to make up for it next time.”
Is Australia ready to take on India with or without Kohli and Rohit?
If Australia is Kohli and Rohit’s final international cricket match, it will be in front of packed crowds of fans from the country’s rapidly growing Indian community in Perth, Adelaide (October 23) and Sydney (October 25).
A number of Test players in the Australian team, including batsman Travis Head and veteran pacemen Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, will use this series to ease their nerves ahead of the Ashes, which will have a big impact on this series.
The first Ashes Test against England begins in Perth on November 21st and continues until the fifth Test begins in Sydney on January 3rd.
It will be Starc’s first start in Australian summer international cricket after retiring from the T20 team.
What’s the latest injury news for Australia and captain Cummins?
Marnus Labuschagne, a late call-up in place of injured all-rounder Cameron Green, will be hoping to convert his red-ball form into white-ball runs to continue making the case for Ashes’ recall.
Labuschagne was left out of the Test squad for the tour of the West Indies, but returned for the first time in centuries for the final two Sheffield Shield matches in Queensland.
Cricket Australia announced on Friday that Green had been ruled out of the ODI series after suffering “mild side pain” during training and was likely to play in Shield cricket.
The all-rounder will join Pat Cummins on the sideline, with the regular captain struggling to shake off strain in his hipbone and his start in the Ashes in doubt.
Australia will also be without regular wicketkeeper Alex Carey and spinner Adam Zampa for the Perth opener against India.
Josh Philipp will sit behind Stampa, while left-arm spinner Matt Kuhneman will get a rare chance in the one-day squad without Zampa.
The ODI will be played ahead of a five-match T20I series starting in Canberra on October 29 as both countries gear up for next year’s T20 World Cup.
