India’s Squad Adjustments Before Final ODI Against England
On the eve of a crucial match against England, India has made a significant change to their ODI lineup by bringing in Harsh Dubey as a replacement for the injured Washington Sundar.
Sundar sustained a hamstring injury during the second ODI, which has sidelined him for the series’ final match. Dubey’s inclusion suggests he may be set to make his fourth ODI appearance. The bowling all-rounder debuted in the ODI format during the first match against Afghanistan in June, where he took four wickets across two games before being omitted from the squad for the England series.
In his List A career, Dubey has claimed 35 wickets and scored 296 runs in 32 matches. At just 23 years old, he was also part of the Test squad for the one-off match against Afghanistan but did not get a chance to play.
Reflecting on Sundar’s contributions, he was instrumental in India’s victory during the series opener, scoring an impressive unbeaten 52 runs off 63 balls while chasing a target of 259. His partnership with Axar Patel, which yielded 102 runs for the fifth wicket, was pivotal in securing the win. However, India could not defend a target of 234 in the second ODI held in Cardiff. The final match of the series is scheduled to take place at Lord’s on Sunday, July 19.
India’s revised squad for the third ODI includes: Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (Vice-Captain), KL Rahul (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Prince Yadav, and Harsh Dubey.
Speculations Surrounding Rohit Sharma’s Future
Will Rohit Sharma Retire After the ODI at Lord’s?
There are circulating rumors that Rohit Sharma might announce his retirement from international cricket following the ODI at Lord’s. Although the former captain has not commented on these speculations, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has denied any such discussions regarding his future. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia stated, “There are a lot of speculations going on in the media about Rohit Sharma’s future. I want to firmly assert that there has been no such discussion that Rohit will be playing his last match at Lord’s on Sunday. Rohit is a regular member of the Indian ODI team and he will continue to represent the country as long as he is in the scheme of things. In other words, Lord’s ODI won’t be his last match.”