India’s first choice ODI XI when everyone's fit and available

Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj.

Openers: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill

Back-ups: Ishan Kishan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad

Captain Gill is an automatic selection and is also the in-form opener for India. All is not entirely well for his opening partner Rohit Sharma, however, if reports from Indian media are to be believed. Selectors are said to be keen on giving Jaiswal some game time before the World Cup. But as things stand, Rohit remains the first-choice opener, especially after his terrific century at Lord’s in July.

India are also lucky to have some top batters as back-up openers, where Jaiswal and Kishan lead the pecking order. The former having smashed two centuries in six ODIs and averages 71.25, while the latter has 495 runs in nine ODIs at 61.88 as an opener, with a doube ton and three fifties.

Ruturaj Gaikwad is another back-up option for the opening slot, though his best returns have come lower down the order. As an opener in four ODIs, he only has 88 runs at 22, with a top score of 71.

Nos. 3 to 5: Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul

Back-ups: Yashasvi Jasiwal, Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Dhruv Jurel

India’s middle order seems to be the strongest, with Kohli, Iyer and Rahul sure-shot selections in the XI. But who are the back-ups in case of injuries? Jaiswal could be slotted in at number three in Kohli's potential absence.

Kishan, on the other hand, has notably batted in all positions from one to five in his 32-match ODI career so far, with 197 runs in five matches at 39.4 from three, and 279 runs in 10 matches from four, including a century. What works in Kishan's favour, on top of the fact that he has been in great form across formats, is that he could also double up as a back-up wicketkeeper and bat at five, adding another dimension to the Indian batting from the middle order.

Gaikwad is another back-up for three and four, with his only ODI century coming at two-down. He also recently batted at both three and four for India A in the tri-series aainst Afghanistan A and Sri Lanka A and amassed 274 runs at an average of nearly 55, with a fifty and a hundred.

The selectors are also seemingly looking at Dhruv Jurel as a back-up wicketkeeper. He has been picked in the ODI squad for the West Indies series and is also capable of moving up and down the middle order.

All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana

Backups: Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Harsh Dubey

Hardik Pandya lends a perfect balance to India's white-ball XIs when fit. Axar has clearly pipped Jadeja for the spin-bowling all-rounder’s slot while Harshit Rana has sealed the number eight position, with his ability to get some handy runs down the order and deliver his quota of 10 overs.

Jadeja is a readymade back-up available for Axar, and was picked for the upcoming West Indies ODIs, with the latter currently featuring in the Asian Games. But Jadeja has picked up only one wicket in six ODIs since the Champions Trophy final in March 2025 and hasn't finished his quota of overs even once. Left-arm spinning all-rounder Harsh Dubey from Vidarbha, who made his debut in the recent ODI series against Afghanistan, is another option for the position.

India have tried to groom Nitish as Hardik’s back-up for the pace-bowling all-rounder’s slot, but his struggle with injuries have adversely affected India's plans. He also doesn’t boast great numbers in his six ODI appearances, but a pace-bowling all-rounder is a rare commodity.

Again, if it comes to that, Sundar can also take one of the all-round slots in the XI, but India might have to rethink their team combination to accommodate him. As of now, there is no like-for-like backup for Rana.

Outside chance: Suryansh Shedge could be an option for Rana’s backup, but is still untested in ODIs, and so is Shivam Dube. Another left-field option could be Auqib Nabi, who has received a maiden ODI call-up for the West Indies series, potentially due to his ability to tonk the ball down the order. He also has 56 wickets in 36 List A matches so far.

Bowlers: Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

Back-ups: Varun Chakaravarthy, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav

Kuldeep, Bumrah and Siraj pick themselves in the XI. Siraj’s place in the side could be argued, as he last featured in the format in January this year, but he is a genuine wicket-taker and comes with a plethora of experience.

India have tried several bowlers since the last World Cup to create a pool of back-up quicks. Krishna and Arshdeep have a combined 80 ODI wickets under their belt, while Brarhas impressed in the few, recent chances he's got as well. Prince is another quick who might get a look in if India want to include more hit-the-deck options.

Among spinners, Varun is the best back-up. But he last played ODIs in the Champions Trophy, accounting for nine wickets in three innings and has been featuring in T20Is only since then. Washington could also get a look-in as a specialist spinner if India are in a desparate situation.

Outside chance: Out-of-favour Mohammed Shami could well come back into the scheme of things in the next few months, especially with reports of a change in the selection committee. Like Varun, he last played for India in the Champions Trophy.

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