India have announced their squad for the three-match ODI series against Australia. Rohit Sharma will lead the team, while Hardik Pandya has retained the vice-captaincy. However, Rohit will miss the first ODI of the series due to family commitments.
After a surprise call-up, pacer Jaydev Unadkat is set to play his first ODI in ten years. Sanju Samson, on the other hand, was left out, with KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan named as the two wicketkeepers.
“Mr Rohit Sharma will be unavailable for the first ODI due to family commitments, and Mr Hardik Pandya will lead the side in the first ODI,” said the BCCI statement.
This will be the first time Hardik Pandya will lead the team in ODIs. Hardik was named the ODI vice-captain during the Sri Lanka series in January, and he replaced KL Rahul in the role. Hardik is likely to be India’s next full-time T20I captain, having already led the team in 12 T20Is, including each of the last three series.
Ravindra Jadeja will play his first ODI in 9 months after returning to the team following his recovery from injury. However, there is no Jasprit Bumrah, which means the 2023 IPL is likely to be where he makes his comeback.
The ODI squad suggests that we have seen the last of Shikhar Dhawan in the format and that he is not in India’s plans for the 2023 World Cup. Shubman Gill’s golden run has ensured he is India’s first-choice opener, while Ishan Kishan looks set to be the first-choice back-up as things stand.
India’s ODI squad vs Australia: Rohit Sharma (C), S Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya (VC), R Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, W Sundar, Y Chahal, Mohd Shami, Mohd Siraj, Umran Malik, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Jaydev Unadkat
