New Delhi, Oct 10 (NationPress) Australia’s emerging talent Cooper Connolly has praised Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as world-class athletes and expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity to play alongside these Indian legends once more. He reminisced about their previous encounter during a match earlier this year.

The 22-year-old all-rounder has been selected for Australia’s ODI roster for the upcoming home series against India, set to commence on October 19 in Perth, where he may once again share the field with these iconic players.

Connolly faced Kohli and Rohit in the Champions Trophy semi-final clash in March, where he was part of Australia’s lineup, although he fell for a nine-ball duck.

“It’s thrilling; they are two world-class players. I’ve competed against both, and they carry a certain aura. You can sense that they are seasoned cricketers with a distinctive presence,” Connolly shared with The West Australian.

“They truly dominate this game. It’s exhilarating; many fans will be here to witness their performance, and we are eager to play some excellent cricket. They are bringing a formidable team, but we hope to clinch the series. It would be a privilege. I have always admired Virat; he’s a remarkable player. I haven’t communicated much with him, but it would be a great honor to share the field with him one last time.”

Kohli’s last appearance in Australia was during the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, marking his last red-ball international match prior to his retirement from that format.

Both Kohli and Rohit will return to play following a considerable hiatus, as they have mainly participated in the one-day format recently.

As Australia gears up to host India for three ODIs followed by five T20Is, the veteran duo of “RoKo” will finally take the field again.

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