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No Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma, yet MCG packed! Abhishek-Shubman buzz sends IND vs AUS 2nd T20I tickets flying
MCG will host the second T20I between India and Australia on October 31
India's white-ball campaign in Australia kicks off on October 19. The Shubman Gill-led side will first play a three-match ODI series, followed by a five-match T20I series against the newly-crowned Asia Cup winners. With about two weeks to go before the tour begins, Melbourne is already buzzing for the new-gen Indian stars. The city will host the second T20I on October 31, and despite the absence of legends Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, tickets for the game have officially sold out.
When Rohit and Kohli announced their sudden retirement from Test cricket in May, amid widespread speculation about what had unfolded behind the scenes, fans worldwide were left shocked. The BCCI had a transition plan in place, naming Gill as the new Test captain, but the fan reaction to Kohli and Rohit's decision was so overwhelming that none turned up at the airport to welcome the new-look Indian side when they landed in London for the Test series against England earlier this summer.
The scene at the airport in London sharply contrasted with Perth during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in November 2024. Fans’ frenzy to catch a glimpse of Kohli forced the BCCI to take special measures to ensure privacy during practice sessions, while the media couldn’t stop gushing about the ‘King’, already believed to be on his final Test tour Down Under.
One of the bigger concerns for Indian cricket stakeholders has been the lack of stars beyond Kohli and Rohit. Yet India has consistently produced them: after Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar came Sachin Tendulkar and the Big Five, followed by Kohli and Rohit. The Asia Cup hinted that the next-gen stars, led by Gill and Abhishek Sharma, are ready to carry the baton.
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While Gill was always considered the heir to Kohli, and he vindicated this during the England Test series, Abhishek shot to fame with his T20 pyrotechnics, which were on display during the Asia Cup tournament, where he scored 314 runs in seven innings. He was even named the Player of the Tournament for his performance.
The buzz created by the two, in addition to India's spectacular consistency in the T20I format, resulted in the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground officially selling out. In fact, Cricket Australia revealed that the ticket sales for the entire T20I series crossed 175,000 across eight matches. Public tickets for Sydney and Manuka Oval have sold out, while a limited number remain for Adelaide and the Gabba. AFL and MCC member tickets for the Melbourne T20I are still being released, giving more fans a chance to attend the packed venue.
“The huge crowd anticipated for the Melbourne T20I is another strong indicator of the incredible interest in this series. We’re thrilled to see fans embracing the Australia v India contest with such passion, and we look forward to delivering a world-class experience both on and off the field”, CA CEA Todd Greenberg said in a statement.
“To have over 175,000 tickets sold with 13 days until the first ODI in Perth is a phenomenal result. It speaks volumes about the strength of the rivalry and the enthusiasm of fans across the country,” Greenberg added.
Rohit and Kohli will be in action for the final time in Australia, as the duo has been picked for the ODI series. Sydney will host their final appearance on Australian soil. Earlier, CA had indicated that they are planning a farewell event to celebrate the careers of the two senior stalwarts.
