India announced their ODI and T20I squads for the tour of Australia on October 4. Here's what we learnt from chief selector Ajit Agarkar's press conference.
India squads for tour of Australia
ODI squad: Shubman Gill (c), Shreyas Iyer (vc), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, 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.
T20I squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar.
Will Rohit and Kohli make it to the 2027 World Cup?
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were both picked for the ODI leg of the tour, the only format the pair remain active at the international level. Agarkar remained non-committal about the possibility of the pair making it to the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, though:
“That’s the format they are playing at the moment,” he said. “We’ve picked them [for Australia]… as far as the 2027 World Cup is concerned, I don’t think we need to talk about it today. You don't have to think too far at this point, as the team is picked for Australia, and you know, just need them to score runs like they have been through their career.”
Read more: Rohit, Kohli, and the ODI transition India can't afford to get wrong
He did hint, though, that they would be expected to play the Vijay Hazare Trophy, India's domestic 50-over competition: “I think we made it clear a year, or a couple of years back, now, that whenever players are available, they should be playing domestic cricket. I mean, that’s the only way you’ll keep yourself sharp and playing cricket, if you’ve got a long enough break.
“Whether that’s possible with the international cricket you’re playing or not, that only time will tell, but if the guys are free, they should be playing domestic cricket.”
Why was Shubman Gill made ODI captain now?
In a move not entirely unexpected, Test skipper Shubman Gill was also placed in charge of the ODI side. He remains deputy to Suryakumar Yadav in the T20I setup.
“It's practically impossible to have three different captains for three formats, just in terms of planning,” Agarkar said. “Obviously, at some stage, you've got to start looking at where the next World Cup is. It's also a format which has played the least now, so you don't get that many games to actually give the next guy or if there is going to be another guy, that much time to prepare himself and plan.
“Of course, the focus has been on the T20 World Cup [in 2026], but slowly, but surely we'll start planning for that World Cup to come [in 2027]. So it gives the next guy enough time to plan with whatever games that we have coming, and it is very difficult to have three different captains for three formats. In terms of not just selectors, but more importantly, even for the coach, to plan with different three different people is never easy.”
Is this the end of the road for Ravindra Jadeja in ODI cricket?
Conspicuous by his absence was all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who was part of the Champions Trophy-winning squad, India's last ODI assignment. Jadeja retired from T20Is along with Rohit and Kohli last year, but remains active in Test cricket. In fact, he made 104* and took four wickets against the West Indies barely an hour before the squad announcement. Nearly 37 now, there could be an argument to call time on his ODI career, to preserve him in Test cricket.
“Look, at the moment, to take two left-arm spinners to Australia was just not possible,” Agarkar said. “He’s clearly in the scheme of things, with how good he is but there will be some competition for places.
“Of course he was there in the Champions Trophy squad because we took those extra spinners with the conditions there. At the moment we could only carry one and get some balance in the team with Washi [Washington Sundar] and Kuldeep [Yadav] there as well. I don’t think we’re going to need more than that in Australia.
“He’s clearly in the scheme of things, Jaddu, with how good he is and what he offers us as a batter and bowler and particularly in the field as well. So yeah, it’s just a short series, you can’t accommodate everyone. Unfortunately he’s missing out, but it’s nothing more than that.”
Axar Patel is the left-arm spinner India picked for the Australia ODIs.
What is Hardik Pandya's fitness status?
Seam-bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya was left out of both the ODI and T20I squads, with Nitish Kumar Reddy selected as a like-for-like replacement in both formats. Pandya missed the Asia Cup final through injury, but Agarkar said little was known beyond his being ruled out of the upcoming tour.
“At the moment he's not going to be fit for Australia. I think the injury that he picked up just before the finals in Asia Cup... we'll know in due course, how long it's going to be. In a week's time, he's supposed to be there at the CoE [Centre of Excellence], and once he starts his rehab, we'll probably get better timelines. But for Australia, he's definitely not available.”
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