The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has dismissed rumors that the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia would mark the final international appearances of veteran batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla said the decision to retire rests solely with the players and that it is “absolutely wrong” to speculate that this series will be their last.
Shukla spoke about the value of having Rohit and Virat in the ODI squad. “This is very beneficial for us. Both are great batsmen, and with them in the team, I believe we will be successful in defeating Australia,” he said.
Rohit Sharma, India’s fourth-highest run-getter in ODIs, has scored 11,168 runs in 273 matches, including 32 centuries and 58 fifties. This year, he has scored 302 runs in eight ODIs with an average of 37.75. Virat Kohli, India’s second-highest ODI run-getter, has accumulated 14,181 runs in 302 matches with 51 centuries and 74 fifties. This year, he has scored 275 runs in seven ODIs at an average of 45.83. 
Both Rohit and Virat, who have retired from Tests and T20Is, will now focus exclusively on ODIs and will be in action in the Australia series starting October 19. The series also comes as India looks ahead to the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2027, when Rohit and Virat would be 40 and 39 years old respectively.
Shukla also praised the Shubman Gill-led team for their recent series win against West Indies, calling it a morale booster ahead of the Australia tour. India won the series 2-0, with standout performances from Kuldeep Yadav, who took eight wickets, and Ravindra Jadeja, who scored a century and claimed eight wickets in the series, earning him the ‘Player of the Series’ award.
Shukla added, “I want to congratulate Team India on winning the West Indies series. It is important to play strong cricket at home before going to Australia. The Australian team is very good, but I am confident India will perform well and win the series there.”
In the final Test against West Indies, India posted a massive 518/5 declared, thanks to centuries from Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Despite a strong fightback from West Indies in both innings, India chased down 121 runs comfortably, winning by seven wickets.
