Gill Named India’s Captain for Australia ODIs; Kohli and Rohit Return
By Gaurav Tripathi | Oct 04, 2025 | 03:34 PM
Indian cricket icons Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been named in India’s squad for the upcoming ODI series against Australia, starting October 19. Both players, having retired from Tests and T20Is, have not represented India since the Champions Trophy in February and March. However, a significant change in leadership sees Shubman Gill replace Rohit Sharma as the ODI captain.
Tour Details: India’s Tour of Australia
India’s tour of Australia will kick off with a three-match ODI series beginning October 19. The matches are scheduled in:
- Perth – October 19
- Adelaide – October 23
- Sydney – October 25
This will be followed by a five-match T20I series from October 29 to November 8. With the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup just a few months away, this series holds great significance for team preparation.
Captaincy Change: Shubman Gill to Lead
Amidst rumors surrounding India’s ODI captaincy, the selectors have appointed 26-year-old Shubman Gill as the new ODI skipper. Gill, who is also India’s designated Test captain, will now lead the side in the limited-overs format. Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have expressed their commitment to remain a part of the ODI setup at least until the 2027 ICC World Cup in South Africa.
Notable Absences: Pant and Pandya Out
Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant will miss the series as he continues rehabilitation at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru after fracturing his left foot during India’s England tour in July. Similarly, star all-rounder Hardik Pandya is sidelined due to a left quadriceps injury sustained during India’s Asia Cup Super-4 match against Sri Lanka last month.
Squad Alterations: Five Changes in the ODI Squad
The ODI squad for the Australia series features five changes from the 15-member team that won the Champions Trophy in UAE. Alongside Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, and Varun Chakravarthy are absent. Their places have been taken by Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Dhruv Jurel, Prasidh Krishna, and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Notably, Dhruv Jurel has secured the spot as back-up wicketkeeper, edging out Sanju Samson.
India’s ODI Squad:
Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vc), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal.
T20I Squad: Bumrah Returns
Jasprit Bumrah is included in India’s T20I squad for the five-match series following the ODIs. The only change from the Asia Cup-winning squad is Hardik Pandya being replaced by Nitish Kumar Reddy. Washington Sundar has also been added, increasing the squad size to 16 players.
Suryakumar Yadav will continue as captain of the T20I team, with Shubman Gill serving as his deputy.
India’s T20I Squad:
Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (VC), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (WK), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar.
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