The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced two squads for India's three-match ODI series against Australia starting Friday, September 22 in Mohali with a press conference addressed by chief selector Ajit Agarkar and skipper Rohit Sharma. Most of the main squad at the Asia Cup and the World Cup is rested for the first two ODIs with KL Rahul leading the side and veteran spinner R Ashwin has returned to the side for the first time since January 2022.
Ruturaj Gaikwad is the only new entrant in the squad as he replaces skipper Rohit for the first two games as an opener with Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan being the other options at the top of the order. Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma and stand-in captain Rahul will be in the middle order with R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar forming the spin attack.
The whole pace attack is retained with Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav being the two others players to be rested. The whole World Cup squad will come back for the third ODI with Ashwin and Sundar staying for the Rajkot game. Axar Patel, who suffered a side strain in the Bangladesh game is subject to fitness for the series finale.
Australia, on the other hand, are coming off a 2-3 series loss to South Africa. The Mitchell Marsh-led side began the five-match series with a bang winning the first two games, however, lost steam towards the end, losing the last three ODIs. But, all the first-choice players including Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell are back for the Men in Yellow and even though they will miss the destructive opener Travis Head at top, the series promises to be a cracker between two strong sides before the World Cup.
Team India squad (for first two ODIs): KL Rahul (w/c), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja (vc), Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Tilak Varma, Prasidh Krishna, R Ashwin, Washington Sundar
Team India squad (for third ODI): Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya (VC), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel (*subject to fitness) Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, R Ashwin, Washington Sundar
