Cricket Australia Plans Special Farewell for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli
A Memorable Farewell for Cricket Legends
Todd Greenberg, the CEO of Cricket Australia, expressed the organization's desire to honor Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli with a special farewell if their upcoming ODI series in Australia turns out to be their final tour. With both players having retired from Test and T20 formats, they will now focus solely on ODIs for the Indian team.
India is set to tour Australia for a three-match ODI series scheduled from October 19 to 25, taking place in Perth, Adelaide, and Sydney. Following this, a five-match T20I series will occur from October 29 to November 8. The Australian summer will also feature the Ashes series and a women's tour from India after the WPL 2026.
During a virtual press conference on Tuesday, Greenberg responded to a question regarding the upcoming cricket season:
“This summer promises to be significant, showcasing both the Indian men's and women's teams. Additionally, the Ashes will be held, and for the first time in nearly twenty years, international matches will be played in every capital city and territory across Australia, which is quite an achievement considering the logistical challenges involved. To address your question, we are developing tailored marketing strategies for each game in every city.”
He further elaborated:
“Some of these strategies will cater to local markets, whether we are playing in far North Queensland with South Africa or in major cities with both Indian men's and women's teams present. A considerable amount of effort is being put into this.”
Cricket Australia also announced a record-breaking ticket sale during the pre-sale on Tuesday. With the potential appearances of Kohli, Rohit, and the Ashes, fans from Australia and around the world are eager to experience the matches.
Greenberg noted:
“Last year, we witnessed significant momentum following the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, resulting in record ticket sales. I expect numerous sellouts throughout the summer, starting in August and continuing until March. This could be a summer unlike any other, given the wealth of content we have. Considering the caliber of players coming, especially from India, this might be the last opportunity to see Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma play in our country.”
He added:
“If that turns out to be the case, we want to ensure they receive a fitting send-off, reflecting their remarkable contributions to international cricket.”
India's last visit to Australia was for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, which consisted of five Test matches, with Australia winning the series 3-1. Rohit captained the team in the first four matches, while Jasprit Bumrah led the fifth match but had to leave during the game, with Virat Kohli taking over the captaincy.