Michael Clarke Predicts Leading Run-Scorer For India-Australia ODIs. It's Not Shubman Gill

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, two veteran India players, will be back in action for the national team after a gap of seven months. The duo has already quit T20I and Test cricket and remains active only in ODIs. India will take on Australia in a three-match ODI series, starting October 19, and it will see the return of Virat and Rohit in the national jersey. Before the action begins, former Australia captain Michael Clarke has made a huge prediction. He believes that Kohli will be the top-scorer during the ODI series Down Under.

"(Leading run-scorer) Well, in my opinion, it's one of Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli. I've just got this thing - if it is their last trip to Australia, they'll want to leave on a high. I think batting at number three or four is probably a little bit easier in Australia than opening because Rohit will open, so I'm going to go with Virat Kohli, leading run-scorer," Clarke said on Beyond23 Cricket Podcast.

While Rohit and Virat have been picked for the Australia tour keeping the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 in mind, the promotion of Shubman Gill to ODI captaincy and the performance of other young players like Tilak Varma and Yashasvi Jaiswal have raised eyebrows over the future of 'Ro-Ko'. Another fact of concern for two veterans is that they will be turning 40 and 39 when the mega event comes in 2027.

As the speculations were rife that Virat and Rohit might retire after Australia ODI series, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla dismissed such talks.

"This is very beneficial for us (Rohit and Virat being in the ODI squad). Because both of them are great batsmen, and in the presence of both of them, I think we will be successful in defeating Australia," Shukla told ANI.

"And as far as this being their last series is concerned, it is nothing like that. We should never go into these things. It is up to the players when they would retire. To say this would be their last series is absolutely wrong," he added.

Topics mentioned in this article

Australia vs India 2025 India Cricket Team Australia Cricket Team Rohit Sharma Virat Kohli Michael Clarke Cricket