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Virat Kohli returns to India on Gautam Gambhir's birthday, ignores selfie request, shows urgency to leave for Australia
Virat Kohli gave fans little time to catch him as he ignored selfies and quickly made his way to his car to join the Indian cricket team.
India batting star Virat Kohli returned to his country on Tuesday after four months ahead of the Indian team's departure for the upcoming ODI leg of the white-ball tour of Australia, as he was spotted at the New Delhi airport. The former India captain gave fans little time to catch him as he ignored selfies and quickly made his way to his car to join the Indian cricket team.
Kohli had earlier left for London, along with his wife, Anushka Sharma, and their two children, immediately after the conclusion of the IPL 2025 season, during which he won the title for the first time with the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Having retired from the Test format in mid-May, Kohli was not part of the tour of England in the summer.
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The Indian team will depart for Australia in two batches on October 15, as earlier reported by the PTI. A BCCI source informed the news agency last week that one group of players would depart in the morning, while the other would fly out in the evening, depending on the availability of business-class tickets for the flight. The team is scheduled to fly to Perth, which will host the first ODI match against Australia on October 19.
The ODI series will mark the return of Kohli to international cricket for the first time since the Champions Trophy earlier this year. And will come at a significant juncture in his career amid swirling rumours about his future in international cricket.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar, at the time of the announcement of the ODI squad earlier this month, had remained non-committal on Kohli and Rohit Sharma being part of India's plans for the ODI World Cup, despite their selection for the Australia series. The remark had instantly sparked speculations that impending contest will merely be a 'perform or perish' tour for the senior duo.
However, new ODI captain Shubman Gill shut the discussion instantly when he addressed the media during the home Test series against the West Indies. He said that the team “needs them" in the 2027 ODI World Cup, given their experience and exceptional match-winning ability
Reportedly, Ajit Agarkar, the rest of the selection committee, and head coach Gautam Gambhir are concerned about the longevity of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, questioning whether they can sustain their form until 2027, given that they are currently active in only one international format. However, the duo is expected to feature in at least three, if not four, Vijay Hazare Trophy games before the New Zealand ODI series in January, addressing those concerns.
If they do make themselves available for the domestic List A tournament, which starts on December 24, it will be Kohli's first appearance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 15 years, while Rohit last played in 2018.
