India Tour Of Australia Sparks Debate, Will Rohit Sharma Lead As Captain With Kohli’s Return

India Tour of Australia:  The biggest question in Indian cricket right now is who will captain the team in the upcoming ODI series against Australia. There is also debate about the presence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The three-match series begins in Perth on October 19, and the selectors are expected to select their team during the Ahmedabad Test.

Expectations rise on the return of Rohit and Kohli

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have retired from the Test and T20 formats. Now, both are focused solely on ODI cricket. After winning the Champions Trophy, both veterans were away from international cricket for seven months, but they proved with their batting that they remain vital to Team India. Kohli scored a century against Pakistan and top-scored for the team in the semi-final against Australia. Rohit also played a match-winning innings in the final against New Zealand.

BCCI sources say that Rohit Sharma is not being removed from the Indian team captaincy without reason. His record in ODIs is excellent, and unless he himself says he wants to focus solely on batting, he should continue to lead the team.

Shubman Gill may get rest

The selectors will also be keeping an eye on the team's young captain and opening batsman, Shubman Gill. He may be rested from this series due to workload management and fitness considerations. Gill has been playing consistently across all formats for the past year. Therefore, the selection committee may consider it prudent to give him a break from ODIs or T20s for a while.

Lack of injured players

India will miss Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant in this series. Hardik is suffering from a quadriceps injury, while Pant has not fully recovered from a leg injury. Therefore, the selectors will face challenges regarding the middle order and finisher roles.

No major decisions at the moment

BCCI sources say that India has three ODIs against Australia and three against New Zealand this season. Therefore, the likelihood of any major changes is low at this time. The board's priority is to secure points for the T20 World Cup and World Test Championship, which will be held at home next year.

The broadcaster indicated

Interestingly, Jio Hotstar included images of Rohit and Kohli in the promotional teaser for the ODI series. This also indicates that both veterans will be part of the series and Rohit may take over the captaincy.