3 Indian batters to watch out for in ODI series against Australia

Overview

• Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma last played for India in the Champions Trophy 2025, and their last active tournament was the IPL
• The duo retired from Tests after the Indian management wanted to move on from them in the longest format of the game
• Shreyas Iyer will return to the Indian team after not making it to the Asia Cup 2025 squad

India will be playing an ODI series of three matches and a T20I series of five matches against Australia in their backyard in October-November 2025. India's tour of Australia will start with the ODI series and the first match will be played at the Optus Stadium in Perth. It will act as a big series for some of the key Indian players in the leadup to the ODI World Cup 2027.

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Some of the major Indian players haven't been in action for quite a while. The series will act as a medium for them to have some game time and return back to grooves. Some of the key Indian batters will be watched closely, whose performance in the series could potentially decide their future in the team, especially for the ODI World Cup 2027.

3 Indian batters to watch out for in ODI series against Australia

Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer last played for India in the Champions Trophy 2025, where he played a key role and helped India's win. It was also his first ICC title win. Following his performance in the major tournament, Iyer played a key role in Punjab Kings' IPL 2025 campaign, where he batted well and led them to their first appearance in the final since 2014.

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However, despite performing well as a batter, Iyer did not get a chance in the Indian squad in the Asia Cup 2025. However, he got a callup for the ODI series against Australia. Since the first ODI is in Perth, all the focus would be on his short ball play, which will be crucial to succeed on bouncy conditions.

Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma, much like Iyer, last played for India in the Champions Trophy 2025. The star player helped India win the trophy with a Player of the Match performance in the final and helped the team win its second ICC title in under a year. However, Rohit was not in the scheme of things in the Indian Test team, which led to his retirement from the longest format of the game.

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It meant Rohit is effectively an one-format player. In all likelihood, Rohit could retire from international cricket towards the end of 2027. The ODI World Cup is the only tournament he has never won in his career. Hence, his focus would be to win it and the journey for the same would begin with his game time in the tour of Australia.

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli is one of the greatest ODI batters of all time. With his batting, the veteran has helped India win major ODI tournaments like the ODI World Cup 2011, Champions Trophy 2013, and the Champions Trophy 2025. Even in T20Is, he helped India to win the T20 World Cup 2024. 

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Much like Rohit, Virat has retired from both Tests and T20Is. Hence, the only format in which he would be a part of the Indian team is ODIs. Kohli will be key for India in the ODI World Cup 2027. To prepare for it, the ODI series against Australia will play a key role.