The much-awaited ODI series between India and Australia kicks off on October 19 at Optus Stadium, Perth, marking a major moment for Indian cricket. Shubman Gill will captain the team for the first time in ODIs, and fans were looking forward to seeing Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli return after almost seven months.

Bad News for Fans: Rain Alert
Weather could play spoilsport. According to AccuWeather, there’s a 63% chance of rain in Perth on match day. The match is scheduled to start at 11:30 AM local time (9 AM IST), but rain during the early stages could disrupt play. If the match is washed out, fans may have to wait longer to see Rohit and Virat in action together.

A Historic Comeback

• Rohit Sharma will return as a player after nearly four years, having given up the ODI captaincy in 2021.

• Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will play together under the same captain for the first time in nine years—the last time was in 2016 under MS Dhoni’s captaincy.

Venue & Records

• India will play an ODI at Optus Stadium for the first time.

• Australia has played three matches here and lost all three—good news for India.

• However, India’s overall record in Australia remains poor: 14 wins in 54 matches, with 38 losses.