IND vs AUS | Rishabh Pant left out of ODI squad; Hardik Pandya returns
The BCCI have named the ODI squad for the upcoming tour against Australia and have left out wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant, who has been enduring a torrid time in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League. All-rounder Hardik Pandya makes a return, while Rohit has been put on standby.
With the Indian Premier League springing up a clear answer about the form and performance of certain Indian players, the national selection committee, chaired by Sunil Joshi, has announced a strong 15-man side for the ODI series against Australia which will be the fourth 50-overs series between two cricketing powerhouses in two years.
Virat Kohli will lead the side that has senior players like Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul and Manish Pandey in the squad, but while Delhi Capitals skipper Shreyas Iyer has been included in the squad on the back of his strong showing in the New Zealand tour, his teammate Rishabh Pant has been omitted from the squad. Pant has endured a tough time in the ongoing edition of the IPL and was also previously displaced by KL Rahul as the number one wicket-keeper in limited overs.
While Yuzvendra Chahal has been named as the primary spinner, he will be supported by Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja in the slow bowling department. Mayank Agarwal, who has been a standout performer this season, has also been included in the ODI squad for the second series running, while Hardik Pandya, who has not played an ODI since the 2019 World Cup, also finds a place.
The BCCI have also confirmed that four additional bowlers - Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kartik Tyagi, Ishan Porel and T. Natarajan - will travel with the Indian contingent.
Team India ODI squad: Virat Kohli (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul (vice-captain & wicket-keeper), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Mayank Agarwal, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur