With no ODI series in Australia in the next two years, it is impossible to think that the legendary duo will again be seen Down Under in India blues.
India's record-breaking chase against Australia in the Women's ODI World Cup semifinal sent a wave of pride and emotion through the country's sporting fraternity.
Pat Cummins captured the sentiment perfectly, calling this potentially the 'last chance' for fans Down Under to witness these legends in action. With both stalwarts set to be 39 and 40 respectively by the 2027 World Cup, every appearance carries added significance. Ro-Ko have been the heartbeat of Indian cricket for over 15 years. Their return brings an emotional lift to the team and raises expectations for the series against the world champions.
Abhishek Sharma waged a lone battle with an entertaining 68 from 37 balls in the second T20I against Australia at MCG on Friday.
The Indian team's heavy reliance on all-rounders will be tested by a plucky Australia in the second ODI but the spotlight will continue to stay firmly on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, both of whom would look to turn back the clock with series-saving knocks in Adelaide on Thursday.
Shubman Gill was rewarded with the captaincy of the Indian ODI team for the upcoming tour of Australia, the BCCI announced on Saturday.
'It was good fun. I was obviously really nervous. Super stoked for the boys to get the win.'
Former off-spinner Harbhajan Singh is hopeful that the newly appointed India's ODI captain, Shubman Gill, will carry forward the legacy of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and other captains who served before him in the format.
Rahul Dravid had backed Shubman Gill to become India's all-format captain four years ago.
The others to arrive after a delayed flight were K L Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy along with some members of the support staff.
Harmanpreet Kaur, Smrit Mandhana, Deepti Sharma, Shafali Verma, and Jemimah Rodrigues are poised to see an uplift of 25 to 35 per cent in brand value.
Suryakumar Yadav revealed that as captain Rohit Sharma was known to make everyone comfortable around him in the team.
The cricketing ecosystem has learned to survive the prolonged absence of Kohli and Rohit -- at least in two formats -- in this interim period.
Over four decades, the India-Australia ODI rivalry has mirrored the evolution of both teams, from Australia's supremacy in the 2000s to India's resurgence post-2010. Come Sunday, this rivalry will be renewed as Shubman Gill will commence his first assignment as ODI captain in the opening game of the three match series, at the Optus stadium in Perth.
Akash Deep and Ishan Kishan will miss the Duleep Trophy quarter-final match against North Zone as both the players are recovering from their respective injuries.
The grand comeback party of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma endured a quick 22-ball ending, and their lowkey outing reflected in India's seven-wicket defeat against Australia.
Australia's stand-in captain Mitchell Marsh continued his fine run of form on Sunday, scoring 46 not out and leading his side to a seven-wicket triumph over India in the weather-affected first one-day international at Perth Stadium.
Questions will remain as to why he ended his Test career at the age of 36, despite being one of the fittest cricketers, and why he didn't wait to cross the 10,000-run mark, observes veteran cricket correspondent K R Nayar.
The Eden Gardens crowd responded with a thunderous roar, a testament to Kohli's legendary status and unwavering dedication
'Dhoni is a very cool captain. But he was also very happy and was enjoying that moment.'
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It's a bit of a shock to see Rohit not going to Australia as captain: Harbhajan
Australia held their nerve in a tense chase, edging past India by two wickets to seal the series 2-0 despite a late fightback from the visitors on Thursday in Adelaide.
The fringe and aspiring bunch will look to own the elevated Duleep Trophy stage as the red-ball competition returns to its traditional zonal format and marks the start of India's domestic cricket season.
India enjoy a dominant 9-3 win loss record against Pakistan in T20 Internationals, including a 7-1 margin in T20 World Cups.
The series in Australia could well be Rohit's last in India Blues. But Kohli, given his high fitness standards, could play on until the 2027 World Cup.
India-Pakistan bilateral relations must improve before engaging in cricket: Harbhajan Singh
The tournament had been fraught with tension from the very start, and the animosity carried into the final, which India won by five wickets on a rather long Sunday night.
Indian spinner Ravi Bishnoi and left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh moved up to the sixth and 10th spot respectively in the latest ICC T20 rankings released on Wednesday.
Security beefed up for Kohli's Ranji comeback
As India marches toward the Asia Cup final, one thing is crystal clear -- Abhishek Sharma isn't just participating in this tournament; he's redefining it.
Mithun Manhas: Street-Smart cricketer, who was always at the right place at right time
Rohit Sharma holds the record for leading India to the most victories in T20 Internationals.
Dhoni and Gambhir have not had the smoothest of relationships as teammates and it will be interesting to see how this pair goes on if Dhoni were to accept the offer to mentor the team at the T20I World Cup.
'He was always a people's person. Don't forget he had been a Delhi captain in a team that had a lot of big stars, India players. They played under him and he managed them fairly well.'
Fans were surprised to see Kohli sporting a grey beard for the first time as he posed for a photo with Shash Patel in London.
What's his pet name, who are his idols and who's his best friend in the team...
Former India batter Yuvraj Singh feels Shubman Gill's performance on the recent England tour was nothing short of unbelievable.
Manu Bhaker, who created history by winning two medals at the Paris Olympic Games, shared a heartfelt video on Instagram playing the violin to the tune of the national anthem.
Ambati Rayudu picked Mahendra Singh Dhoni as India's best ever captain ahead of the likes of Sourav Ganguly and Kapil Dev.
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