Former India captain Rohit Sharma is set to make his highly anticipated return to international cricket with the upcoming ODI series against Australia, which is slated to get underway from October 19. Having stepped away from the other formats, Rohit is now focused exclusively on the 50-over game. This series marks India's first ODI engagement since the 2025 Champions Trophy final in March.
Rohit Sharma to play 500th international match in Australia series
The opening match of the three-game series will be especially significant for Rohit. When he takes the field in Perth on October 19, he will be playing his 500th international match, a monumental milestone. Achieving this feat will place him in an elite list alongside cricketing legends Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar. The overall Indian record for most international appearances belongs to Sachin Tendulkar, who played a staggering 664 matches during his career.
Rohit to join Tendulkar, Kohli, Dhoni in elite list
Behind Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli holds the second spot for the most international matches played by an Indian, having featured in 550 matches. MS Dhoni, with 538 caps, is third on the list. While Kohli is currently only active in the ODI format, Dhoni retired from all international cricket in August 2020. Rohit Sharma's upcoming appearance will place him fourth on this distinguished list.
Rohit's own journey began with his India debut in an ODI against Ireland in 2007. He was part of the squad that won the inaugural 2007 T20 World Cup, though he was an irregular feature in the white-ball teams until 2013. A turning point in his career came when then-captain MS Dhoni promoted him to the opening position, a move that solidified his spot in both the ODI and T20I teams. His leadership skills were also recognized, as he was appointed the white-ball team's vice-captain in 2017.
In the Test arena, Rohit was an irregular member between 2013 and 2019. However, the team management under coach Ravi Shastri handed him the opening role in Tests in October 2019, making him a regular fixture in the red-ball team until 2024. He later captained India's Test team from 2022 to 2024. Rohit concluded his career in the longest format with 4,301 runs in 67 Tests. Similarly, he ended his T20I career with 4,231 runs in 159 T20Is, announcing his retirement from the format after leading India to a title victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup.