Senior stars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were among the first batch of Indian cricketers who flew out on Wednesday for the three-match ODI series against Australia, beginning October 19. (BCCI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Senior stars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were among the first batch of Indian cricketers who flew out on Wednesday for the three-match ODI series against Australia, beginning October 19.Kohli and Rohit were joined by Test and ODI skipper Shubman Gill, opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, and pacers Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna, along with members of the support staff.The group arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport in the morning, where a handful of adoring fans had gathered outside to catch a glimpse of the players. Head coach Gautam Gambhir and other coaching staff members are scheduled to leave later in the evening.The BCCI shared a video of the team boarding the bus, showing Rohit heading toward the bus and, upon seeing Kohli already seated, bowing to him before getting inside and hugging him. The two cricketers, longtime friends, shared a heartwarming reunion that fans were excited to witness.India will play three ODIs starting Sunday in Perth, followed by Adelaide and Sydney. The ODIs will be followed by a five-match T20 International series, with the format specialists set to depart tentatively on October 22. The T20 series begins on October 29.The ODI series has generated significant attention due to ongoing discussions about the future of Rohit and Kohli, both of whom have retired from Tests and T20Is.Watch the video here Gambhir, after India’s 2-0 Test series sweep over the West Indies, expressed hope for a strong outing for the two veterans while remaining evasive about their 2027 World Cup prospects.“The 50-over World Cup is still two and a half years away. It is very important to stay in the present. Obviously they are quality players. They are coming back. Their experience is going to be valuable in Australia,” Gambhir said in the post-series press conference.“Hopefully those two guys can have a successful tour, and more importantly, as a team we can have a successful series,” Gambhir said when asked about the future of the two former skippers,” he added.