Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma

NEW DELHI: Excitement is building in Indian cricket as fans await the official announcement of the national squad for the upcoming limited-overs tour of Australia. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is expected to reveal the squads on Saturday, October 4, coinciding with the third day of India’s first Test against the West Indies in Ahmedabad. All eyes are on the potential inclusion of two of India’s biggest white-ball stars, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who are poised to make their return to international cricket.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Both Rohit and Kohli, who had retired from T20 Internationals following India’s 2024 T20 World Cup triumph and from Tests recently, have been working intensively to regain form after a seven-month hiatus since the Champions Trophy in March. Kohli impressed with a hundred against Pakistan and top-scored in the semi-final against Australia, while Rohit ended the tournament with a match-winning knock against New Zealand in the final. Their inclusion in the ODI squad will mark their re-entry into the 50-over format, with India set to play three ODIs in Perth, Adelaide, and Sydney starting October 19, followed by a five-match T20I series from October 29 to November 8.

Selectors face a challenging task, balancing workload and fitness concerns. Hardik Pandya, recovering from a quadriceps injury, and Rishabh Pant, nursing a foot fracture, will likely be unavailable. Test skipper Shubman Gill, who is leading a young batting unit against the West Indies, may also be rested for either the ODIs or T20Is to manage his workload. The compressed schedule, which includes eight matches in 19 days and multiple domestic flights, adds further complexity to squad selection.For Team India, the priority remains India’s home Tests for World Test Championship points and the T20 World Cup early next year.