The highly anticipated three-match ODI series between India and Australia kicks off on October 19, 2025, at the Optus Stadium in Perth. This series marks the dawn of a new era for Indian cricket in the 50-over format, with Shubman Gill officially taking over the ODI captaincy from Rohit Sharma. The match is scheduled to begin at 9:00 AM IST.

Gill's ascension to captaincy follows a successful stint as Test captain and a series win against the West Indies. He will be supported by Shreyas Iyer, who has been named vice-captain. Gill's recent form has been impressive, cementing his place as a key player across all formats. In 2025, he has scored 447 runs in 8 ODIs, averaging 63.85 with a strike rate of 89.57. Gill has also shown versatility, effectively playing against both pacers and spinners.

The series also marks the return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to the ODI squad after a seven-month hiatus. Their return adds immense experience and skill to the team. Both players last represented India during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The presence of these two veterans is expected to provide stability and guidance to the younger players in the squad.

India and Australia have a storied history in ODI cricket, having played 152 matches against each other. Australia holds the edge with 84 wins, while India has won 58. Ten matches have ended with no result. The last time these two teams met in an ODI was during the semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where India emerged victorious.

The Australian squad will be led by Mitchell Marsh. However, they have suffered a setback with Cameron Green being ruled out due to injury. Marnus Labuschagne has been named as Green's replacement. Several players are missing from the Australian side including Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell and Steve Smith. Despite these absentees, Australia still possesses a formidable batting lineup, including Travis Head, Matt Renshaw and Josh Philippe.

The focus will be on how Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli perform upon their return. Both players have impressive ODI records in Australia. Rohit has scored 990 runs in 19 ODIs in Australia, averaging 58.23 with a strike rate of 90.99. Kohli has accumulated 802 runs in 18 ODIs in Australia, averaging 47.17 with a strike rate of 88.71.

The India vs Australia ODI series will be telecast live on Star Sports channels in India. Live streaming will also be available on the JioStar app and website.

Likely Playing XIs:

• India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (C), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh.
• Australia: Travis Head, Mitch Marsh (c), Matt Renshaw, Matt Short, Mitch Owen, Josh Philippe (wk), Cooper Connolly, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Ellis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Josh Hazlewood.

With a blend of youth and experience, the series promises to be an exciting contest between two of the world's top ODI teams.