(Image source from: AFP)

Rohit Sharma might participate in the unofficial one-day international series between India A and Australia A during September and October to get ready for the tour to Australia, as reported by RevSportz. Since the Champions Trophy in March, Rohit has not taken part in any matches for India. He also hasn't played any cricket since the Indian Premier League in 2025, but the captain of India's ODI team has begun training for the upcoming series against Australia. The report indicated that Rohit is eager to play for India A, but no official announcements have been made. The three unofficial ODIs are set for September 30, October 3, and October 5. Meanwhile, former cricketer Mohammad Kaif believes that the 2027 ODI World Cup will be Rohit Sharma's final tournament as ODI captain for India. He anticipates that after Rohit's last appearance, the team management will select Shubman Gill as the new captain.

Shubman Gill's journey to becoming a captain has been nothing short of extraordinary. Following the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which appeared to be Rohit's last Test series, Gill was given the opportunity to lead the team, and he guided India to a memorable 2-2 draw in a tough series in England. After an impressive performance where he scored 754 runs, Gill was appointed as the deputy to T20I captain Surya Kumar Yadav for the upcoming Asia Cup. As Gill rises in the ranks, there have been discussions about Rohit's future, especially since he has declared his retirement from T20I and Test formats. Speaking about Gill's outstanding performance in the lucrative IPL, Kaif predicts that he will become the captain across all formats, stating on his YouTube channel, "Over the last three years, Gill has scored 2,000 runs. He represents the future of captaincy. He is the Test captain and the vice-captain in T20Is. Rohit is the ODI captain. He is nearly 38, and I believe he will retire after the 2027 ODI World Cup. When he retires, Gill will take over as captain."

Gill was a significant missing player in India's squad that won the T20 World Cup last year but was later chosen to lead India in five matches against Zimbabwe. After that series, Gill's focus shifted mainly to ODIs and Tests, as T20 cricket became less central to his career. Now, as vice-captain, Gill will participate in his first T20I tournament since July 2024.