KL Rahul will lead the Indian team in the initial two ODIs against Australia, commencing on September 22. R Ashwin makes his return to the ODI squad and will be part of the team for all three matches. In the meantime, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the senior players, will be rested for the first two games but are set to make a comeback for the final match.
The fitness of Axar Patel remains uncertain, with chief selector Ajit Agarkar expressing hope that the all-rounder will be available for the last encounter. Axar sustained an injury during the inconsequential Super 4 match against Bangladesh, leading to Washington Sundar’s last-minute inclusion in the Asia Cup squad as a replacement.
On a different note, Mohammed Siraj delivered a stellar performance in the Asia Cup final, where Rohit Sharma and his team dismantled Sri Lanka with a 10-wicket victory in Colombo. This triumph marked India’s 8th Asia Cup title, and now the team aims to maintain this momentum in the upcoming 50-over clashes against Australia. Following the series against Australia, India will engage in two warm-up matches before entering the World Cup.
Both India and Australia are considered strong contenders to win the World Cup, which will be hosted in India. Meanwhile, Australia has already unveiled an 18-member squad for the three ODIs, featuring the return of key players to their lineup.
Squad for the 1st two ODIs: KL Rahul (C & WK), Ravindra Jadeja (Vice-captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
Squad for the 1st two ODIs:
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 18, 2023
KL Rahul (C & WK), Ravindra Jadeja (Vice-captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh…
Squad for the 3rd & final ODI: Rohit Sharma (C), Hardik Pandya, (Vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel*, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj
Squad for the 3rd & final ODI:
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 18, 2023
Rohit Sharma (C), Hardik Pandya, (Vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel*, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, R…