In a significant development, R Ashwin, the experienced spinner, has returned to the Indian ODI team for a three-match series against Australia. Notably, senior players like skipper Rohit Sharma and veteran batter Virat Kohli have been rested for the first two games.
Ashwin, who last played an ODI in January 2022 in South Africa, might earn a spot in the Indian squad for the upcoming World Cup should Axar Patel fail to recover from a quadriceps tear sustained during the recent Asia Cup in Sri Lanka, provided he doesn’t meet the ICC’s September 28 deadline for fitness.
Additionally, off-spinner Washington Sundar has been named in the squad for all three games, serving as an alternate option for the World Cup.
KL Rahul will assume leadership duties in the first two games, with Rohit Sharma returning to captain a full-strength squad in the third and final ODI, just before the World Cup kicks off on October 5.
The series will commence with the first ODI in Mohali on September 22, followed by the second in Indore on September 24, and the third in Rajkot on September 27.
Here’s the squad for the first two ODIs: KL Rahul (Captain), 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.
And the squad for the third ODI: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Hardik Pandya (Vice-Captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul (Wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (Wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel (Subject to Fitness), Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Mohammed Siraj.
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