Indian ODI squad to leave for Australia in two batches on October 15

The Indian ODI squad will depart for Australia in two separate batches on October 15 from the national capital with logistics and ticket availability determining the final travel schedule.

India will play a three-match ODI series followed by a five-match T20I affair Down Under.

According to sources in the BCCI, one group of players will leave in the morning while the second batch is likely to fly out later in the evening, depending on the availability of business class tickets for the long-haul flight.

Former captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, along with newly appointed vice-captain Shreyas Iyer, are expected to join the rest of the Test squad members in New Delhi ahead of the team's departure.

“Virat and Rohit will touch down in the capital either on the day of departure or a day prior,” a source in the know told PTI.

The team is scheduled to fly to Perth, where the first ODI against Australia will be played on October 19.

If the ongoing domestic or international assignments conclude earlier than expected, players featuring in the ODI squad could be given a short break to visit their respective homes before regrouping in Delhi.

India are set to face the West Indies in the second and final Test here from October 10-14.

In a significant development, Shubman Gill has been named captain of the ODI side, taking over from Rohit Sharma. Despite mounting speculation regarding their long-term ODI futures, both Rohit and Kohli are believed to have expressed their desire to continue until the 2027 ODI World Cup, even though India will play relatively few 50-over games in the lead-up to the marquee event.

Meanwhile, head coach Gautam Gambhir has invited the entire squad for a team dinner at his residence here in Rajinder Nagar, a gesture aimed at fostering camaraderie before the side embarks on the overseas tour.