The Indian cricket team will usher in the Shubman Gill era in ODI cricket on 19th October at the Optus Stadium in Perth when the Men in Blue take the field against Australia in the first of three ODI games, which are part of a white-ball tour that consists of five T20Is too.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar left the cricket fraternity in shock after announcing Rohit Sharma’s removal as ODI skipper in the team’s first assignment after winning the Champions Trophy. However, Rohit and former captain Virat Kohli remain part of the team and will play competitive cricket for the first time since June.
Both Rohit and Virat have retired from Tests and T20Is and remain active only in ODI cricket. The legendary duo will take their usual spots as opener and number three in Gill’s first series as captain, with all eyes on them. The Indian captain will open with Rohit, while vice-captain Sheyas Iyer and wicket-keeper KL Rahul will take their spots at number four and five as India will persist with their highly successful top five.
In Hardik Pandya’s absence, Nitish Kumar Reddy is set to make his debut in ODI cricket, while Axar Patel will retain his spot after his brilliance in the Champions Trophy, which has seen him get the nod over legendary all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who was dropped from the team.
With no Varun Chakravarthy in the side, Kuldeep Yadav’s selection as the first-choice spinner is a no-brainer. As far as pacers are concerned, Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh are set to lead the attack. Harshit Rana is likely to get the nod over Prasidh Krishna. He is the incumbent in the squad, having been part of the Champions Trophy. Infact, he played over Arshdeep in the mega event while Siraj did not even make the squad. His batting ability also gives him an edge.
India’s Likely XI For Australia ODI Series: Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh
India Squad For Australia ODI Series: Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (VC), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal.