Sunil Gavaskar has ignited a debate regarding the selection of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in India's ODI squad for the upcoming tour of Australia, which starts on October 19, 2025. The tour includes three ODIs, followed by five T20Is. Gavaskar openly questioned the motivation behind including the two senior players, suggesting an "agenda" might be at play.
Gavaskar, speaking to India Today, implied that Kohli and Rohit might not have been as eager to participate had the series been scheduled against a different, less formidable opponent. He stated, "I'm pretty certain that if this were a trip to Zimbabwe or the West Indies, both of them would not have been available. But because this is in Australia, and because India lost to Australia in the World Cup final, maybe that is the reason why both of them have decided, yes, I want to be available for this".
This remark has stirred considerable discussion among cricket fans and pundits. Some interpret Gavaskar's statement as a critique of Kohli and Rohit's commitment to all formats of the game, while others see it as a reflection of the intense rivalry between India and Australia. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squad for the ODI series, with Shubman Gill named as the new ODI captain, replacing Rohit Sharma, and Shreyas Iyer as vice-captain.
The ODI squad includes Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer (VC), KL Rahul (WK), Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (WK), and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Jasprit Bumrah has been rested for workload management. The T20I squad sees Suryakumar Yadav leading the side, with Shubman Gill as vice-captain.
Gavaskar also weighed in on the future of Kohli and Rohit in the ODI format, particularly their potential participation in the 2027 World Cup. He noted that their chances hinge on the number of ODI matches India plays in the coming years. Gavaskar cautioned that maintaining match readiness would be a challenge, especially with both players having stepped away from Test and T20I cricket. He suggested that playing domestic tournaments like the Vijay Hazare Trophy could be crucial for them to stay sharp.
Meanwhile, former national selector Kris Srikkanth has criticized the selection committee for dropping Sanju Samson from the ODI squad. Srikkanth questioned the decision to pick Dhruv Jurel over Samson, especially after Samson's century in his last ODI appearance. He argued that inconsistent selection policies could confuse players and damage their confidence.
The ODI series will commence on October 19 at the Perth Stadium, followed by matches at the Adelaide Oval on October 23 and the Sydney Cricket Ground on October 25. The T20I series will begin on October 29 at the Manuka Oval.
