Australia Tour: Virat, Rohit have a knock at Perth as buzz picks up

The sight of two familiar figures, having an extended knock at the nets next to each other in the first practice session on arrival at the Optus Stadium in Perth, must have been enough to send the adrenalin rushing among Indian fans. Come Sunday, both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are scheduled to make their ‘comebacks’ in Indian shirts against Mitchell Starc & Co. in the first of the three-match ODI series.

The last time the Big Two strode out to the middle as Men in Blue was at the ICC Champions Trophy final on 9 March in Dubai, but much water has flown below the bridge since then. Their surprise Test retirements came at the business end of the IPL, decisions which may have been prompted by extraneous factors rather than just form, leaving them pursuing a format which comes last on the priority list of major cricket boards these days.

With the ODI captaincy taken away from Rohit with an eye on the future, Rohit and Virat have flown Down Under for what will be their swan song series in Australia. There will be sellout crowds at Perth, Adelaide and Sydney over the next week, and Cricket Australia has gone on record to say that it plans to give the duo a memorable send-off, though it may not be time yet for their curtain calls on the international stage.

The only time you truly fail, is when you decide to give up.

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) October 16, 2025

How long will Rohit-Kohli be ready to serve in ODIs as lesser mortals?

The million-dollar question now is whether they can continue until the 2027 ICC World Cup, but then nearly two years is a long time in the careers of professional cricketers in their late 30s.

The two megastars, with personalities as different as chalk and cheese, have approached the upcoming series differently — Rohit went on a weight-shedding spree, cleared the fitness test with other teammates at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru and did the hard yards under the watchful eyes of old friend and mentor Abhishek Nayar, including one at Mumbai's fabled Shivaji Park.

Virat, on the other hand, camped in his London base and hit the nets ‘thrice a week’, as per the version of an ex-cricketer friend. He sought special permission from BCCI to do his fitness test online, and landed in Delhi only a day before joining the squad for the flight to Austarlia.

It may not be quite the ideal 'Gautam Gambhir way', as the head coach is trying to rid the team of its superstar culture, but it’s a dichotomy the team has to live with for some more time.

2027 World Cup looks distant for Rohit Sharma as he loses ODI captaincy

The importance of being Kohli was underlined once again when on Thursday morning, he dropped a cryptic X post: “The only time you truly fail is when you decide to give up.” It went viral, with over 178,000 views in the first 25 minutes, with surfers speculating if Virat was referring to plans of not throwing in the towel until the next World Cup. However, the actual motive was clear within a few hours, and the post turned out to be only a prelude to a new commercial in which he features.

The aura about the two veterans, hence, is not going to die down, no matter how hard Gambhir tries to inject a dose of realism about their international future.

“They (Rohit and Virat) are quality players, and their experience will be invaluable. With the 2027 World Cup still two-and-a-half years away, it’s important to stay focused on the present. Kohli and Rohit are both exceptional players, and their return will be a big boost. Hopefully, they have a successful tour, and more importantly, the team comes out with a strong series performance in Australia,” Gambhir said after the India vs West Indies series.

Big Two’s ODI record in Australia

Virat Kohli

Matches: 29

Total runs: 1327; Average: 51.03; 100s: 5; 50s: 6; Highest score: 133 not out

Rohit Sharma

Matches: 30

Total runs: 1328; Avg: 53.12; 100s: 5; 50s: 5; HS: 171 not out