India’s ODI skipper, Rohit Sharma, is set to return to international cricket for the coming ODI series in Australia later this year. Rohit, who had been out since the end of the IPL 2025 season, cleared his pre-season fitness test at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru on Sunday, establishing that he was ready for the tour.
Rohit’s international cricket hiatus came on the heels of his mid-season announcement, in which he stated that he was retiring from Test cricket. This announcement was only two weeks before India’s tour to England was set to be selected, and he was inundated with rumors about whether he would continue to play international cricket or not. Even though he was confirmed by BCCI to remain the captain for ODIs, in August, after India’s Test series in England, his future in 50-over cricket again became a point of contention.
“Rohit is likely to stay back in the city for a few more days to train at the CoE.” according to a report by PTI
There were speculations making the rounds that Rohit would retire from ODI cricket following the Australia tour ahead, with the BCCI allegedly focusing on his participation in domestic cricket in order to keep him eligible for the 2027 ODI World Cup. While there has been no public statement on these rumors from Rohit, there is confirmation that he has passed the compulsory fitness test, according to PTI sources.
Though Rohit has nothing specific to do post-his retirement from Tests and T20Is, he is likely to accompany the Indian team during the ODI series against Australia in October. Preparatory for the tour, he might play for India A during three one-day matches against Australia A, to be played on September 30, October 3, and October 5 in Kanpur.