Not Rohit Sharma!!: Virat Kohli takes over India captaincy from Shubman Gill in the middle of ODI vs Australia
Published - 20 Oct 2025, 09:36 AM | Updated - 20 Oct 2025, 09:38 AM
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India's tour of Australia started in a disappointing manner as they suffered a 7-wicket loss against the hosts in the first ODI on Sunday (October 20). In a match that was marred by rain, the Men in Blue just struggled to find their rhythm.
Playing their first ODI since winning the Champions Trophy in March this year, India struggled with the bat. The match was reduced to 26 overs per side due to rain. India's innings was halted as many as six times due to rain. In the end, they finished their innings on 126/9.
India suffered defeat in the ODI series opener
At one stage, India were reeling at 45/4 in the 14th over after their top-order failed to get going. KL Rahul then rebuilt the innings and top-scored with 38. Along with him, Axar Patel also played a crucial knock of 31 runs. However, India could not really finish the innings strongly and lost 4 wickets for just 9 runs towards the end.
Also Read: Arshdeep Singh puts Shubman Gill on the same pedestal as Rohit Sharma
For Australia, Josh Hazlewood impressed with the ball, taking 2 for 20 off his seven overs, while Mitchell Owen and Matthew Kuhnemann also claimed two wickets. With the bat, Australia chased down the total inside 22 overs.
They lost the wickets of Travis Head and Matthew Short inside the powerplay, but an unbeaten 46-run knock from captain Mitchell Marsh guided the team home. The likes of Josh Philippe (37) and Matt Renshaw (21*) also made useful contributions with the bat.
Virat Kohli shows leadership:
The first ODI between India and Australia also marked the return of Virat Kohli as well as Rohit Sharma to the national team. Both players had last worn the national team jersey in March this year. However, neither Rohit nor Virat Kohli managed to impress on their return.
While Rohit was out for eight runs, Virat Kohli could not even open his account. However, the failure with the bat did not dampen Kohli's spirit on the field. The former India captain did not shy away from guiding his young teammates on the field.
In a video that is doing the rounds on social media, Kohli could be seen talking with the bowlers as well as captain Shubman Gill as India tried to defend a modest total.
Watch: Virat Kohli Dons Captain's Hat, Guides Teammates On The Field Against Australia
— The Game Changer (@TheGame_26) October 19, 2025
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Virat Kohli India National Cricket Team Australia National Cricket Team Rohit Sharma Shubman Gill India vs AustraliaAbout the Author
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