Virat Kohli Gets Raucous Reception From Fans Ahead Of Optional Practice Session On Eve Of 1st ODI vs Australia
Virat Kohli last played for India during the victorious Champions Trophy campaign in February-March
Batting maestro Virat Kohli received a grand reception from fans on the eve of the 1st ODI between India and Australia in Perth, as he arrived for optional practice outside the Optus Stadium. The series opener on Sunday will mark Kohli's return to international cricket after nearly eight months. He last played for India during the victorious Champions Trophy campaign in February-March.
The Indian team had an optional practice session on the eve of the 1st ODI. In a viral video, Kohli was greeted by massive cheers from fans as he arrived for the session. He signed posters and jerseys for the crowd.
Watch: Cricketer Virat Kohli arrives for an optional practice session in Perth pic.twitter.com/evVLCAe7cs
— IANS (@ians_india) October 18, 2025
India are touring Australia for three ODIs and five T20Is. India's white-ball tour of Australia, under the new captain Shubman Gill, starts with the ODI series opener on Sunday at Perth Stadium and is followed by matches at Adelaide Oval and Sydney Cricket Ground on October 23 and 25, respectively.
Following the ODIs, India will face Australia in a five-match T20I series under Suryakumar Yadav's captaincy, scheduled from October 29 to November 8.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday about leading the two former skippers Rohit and Virat, Gill said, "They are the kind of players, when I was a kid I used to idolise. The kind of game that they used to play, the kind of hunger that they had are something that inspired me. And it's a big honour for me to be able to lead such legends of the game and learn from them."
"Even in the series, there were so many instances where I would be able to learn from their experience. And whenever I think I would be in a bit of a difficult situation, I wouldn't shy away from getting any suggestions or advice from them," he added.
Asked about his learning from Rohit and Kohli while playing under their reins, Gill replied, "There are some things I observed as a player that I really liked when I was playing under them. How they converse and what kind of communication and messaging that they had with the players is something that helped me get the best out of myself when I was playing under them."
(With IANS Inputs)
India Cricket Team
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Virat Kohli