After a difficult ODI series against the old rivals, Rohit Sharma, who has always loved playing in Australia, acknowledged on Saturday that he and Virat Kohli might not be returning to their cricketing homeland.
After retiring from Test and T20I cricket, Rohit and Kohli currently only play one format, and there has been a lot of conjecture recently about their futures.
The two iconic batsmen came together once more on Saturday to guide India to a heartening nine-wicket victory in the third ODI in Sydney, preventing a series annihilation with their unbeaten 168-run partnership.
“Always love coming here and playing here. Fond memories of 2008. I’m not sure if we’ll be coming back to Australia, but we enjoy our cricket no matter what accolades we achieve,” Rohit said after being named Player of the Match and Player of the Series.
In India’s triumph, Rohit scored an incredible 121 and Kohli knocked in 74 runs.
“We started afresh in Perth — that’s how I look at things,” he added, acknowledging the challenges of touring Australia.
Additionally, Rohit emphasized the value of mentorship and experience at this stage of their careers.
“You expect tough pitches and quality bowlers in Australia. Playing here is never easy. We couldn’t win the series, but there are plenty of positives. It’s a young side, and there will be a lot of learnings.
“When I came into the squad, seniors helped us a lot; now it’s our job to do the same. We need to guide them, create game plans, and go back to basics, which I still do every time I play here,” he said.
For Rohit, the connection extends beyond outcomes.
Highlighting his enduring love for Australian cricket and its passionate crowds, Rohit said, “I’ve had great memories here — from the SCG to Perth. I love playing here and hope to continue doing what I do.”
The sentiment was echoed by Kohli.
“You might have played international cricket for a long time, but the game teaches you something at every stage. Situations in the middle bring out the best in me. From early on, we’ve understood the situation well, that’s what we’ve always done well (as a pair)
“We’re probably the most experienced pair now, but back in the day when we were young – we knew we could take the game away from them with big partnerships.
“It all started in 2013 (the home series against Australia), if we put up a big partnership, we know we’ll go a long way in helping the team win,” Kohli said.
He also expressed gratitude to the fans for their steadfast support.
“We’ve loved coming to this country, we’ve played some good cricket, thank you guys for coming in big numbers and supporting us,” he added.
