Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are Indian icons but that does not preclude them from a possible selection squeeze in the twilight of their golden careers, their former coach Ravi Shastri said.

While the champions retired from Test cricket following last summer’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy, they will return to Australia for a white ball series beginning with a one-day international in Perth next Sunday.

Shastri is confident India will excel in the three day ODI series and the five T20s that follow, with star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah to feature in the latter series.

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He said the squads featuring a mix of experienced stars and younger talents including Tilak Vilma and Rinku Singh are superior in quality and performance to the red ball side that tested Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy last summer.

“I mean, this is a good side, a very good side. India are a far better white ball side than Test match side,” Shastri said.

“And especially (with) the young guns, the Australian crowds, they (will) love seeing some of the young guns. A lot of the young players who are in the side, they will entertain.

“Plus, the old dogs are here. Rohit Sharma is here. Virat Kohli too. They know that these youngsters are pushing so you might just see the best out of them.”

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Virat Kohli reacts while sitting beside the trophy after winning the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 final cricket match against Punjab Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on June 4, 2025. (Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP) /Source: AFP

At stake is a chance to impress with a view to the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next February and March, while the next ODI World Cup is two years away.

As brilliant as Kohli and Sharma have been, Shastri said that there is no substitute for scoring runs when it comes to ensuring a spot in the World Cup squad for 2027 and that the champions needed to take every opportunity to retain their sharpness.

“That’s why they’re here. They’re part of the mix but, again, form is crucial,” Shastri said at Kayo and Fox Sports’ Summer of Cricket launch on Monday.

“But there’s no substitute for experience when it comes to the big games, as we saw in the Champions Trophy. Come the big games, the big boys step up, so it’ll be interesting (to see what happens). (They) have to prove something, because they have the young guns nipping at their heels.

“But they love playing in Australia. They have played some of the best white ball cricket and Test cricket in Australia. I think they’ll be out there. And they’ve not played for a while. They’ve retired from the other formats of the game, so that hunger will be there.”

Mumbai Indians’ Rohit Sharma plays a shot during the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 Eliminator cricket match between Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium on the outskirts of Chandigarh on May 30, 2025. (Photo by Shammi MEHRA / AFP)Source: AFP

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Dashing opener David Warner has been impressed with the emergence of younger Indian stars and said it was clear there was an evolution in the line up with a view to the next two white ball World Cups.

Rinku, in particular, and Vilma are among the Indians who have caught the attention of the Fox Cricket expert analyst.

“They’re stacked heavily. And I think those two guys that you just mentioned, you said, have had to fight really hard to cement their spot into that line-up,” Warner said in Parramatta on Monday.

“They’ve had fantastic IPLs. Rinku is one of the greatest finishes now in IPL history. And it’s tough to get into that (Indian white ball) sanctum.

“You have two world class players (in Kohli and Sharma) who have been there for a long, long time with some youngsters nipping at their heels.

“It’s exciting for Indian cricket, but also for the Australians here to take on these world class youngsters coming through. It is a true test for the Australians.”

Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports cricket launch at Fed Square, Melbourne. Brett Lee, Ravi Shastri and David Warner. Picture: Jake NowakowskiSource: News Corp Australia

Given the interest last summer, Warner has no doubt Indian fans based in Australia will turn out by the tens of thousands to support the tourists, with the MCG already sold out for a T20 encounter on the eve of the Victoria Derby on October 31.

Sharma has no doubt Australian fans are in for a monster summer given the presence of both India and England for tours.

“I think for Australian crowds, this will be the best summer,” he said.

“India is just the appetiser before the Ashes. There’ll be more bums on seats this year for four months than you’ve ever seen. Last year was just a teaser when you had the largest crowd in Melbourne since Bradman’s side in 1936. I think the Barmy Army will be out in full force, making a noise, and trying to see if England can rattle Australia.”

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