KL Rahul to lead India in Mohali, Indore ODIs against Australia

India have announced the squad for the three-match One-Day International (ODI) series against Australia. KL Rahul will lead the side in the first two games, while Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Virat Kohli and also Kuldeep Yadav will return to the squad for the final game. Rahul successfully returned to Team India after a long injury lay-off, even scoring a century against Pakistan in the Asia Cup.

Among notable inclusions, Ravichandran Ashwin and Washington Sundar have been named in the squad for all three ODIs. This will provide India with a few matches to test him out if Axar Patel is injured and unable to recover in time for the World Cup. While Axar is not there in the squad for the first two games, he will be back for the third game, subject to fitness.

Sundar, Ashwin and opening batter Ruturaj Gaikwad are the three members who were not part of the Asia Cup 2023 to be named in the squad. However, Sundar was drafted into the side for the final following an injury to Axar as India went on to clinch the title for the record eighth time. Sanju Samson who was in the reserves for the Asia Cup does not find a place for the Australia ODIs.

There's also good news for India, as Shreyas Iyer is also part of all three ODIs. He was ruled out just moments before the Asia Cup Super Fours match against Pakistan due to a recurring back injury.

The ODIs against Australia will get underway from Friday (September 22) in Mohali. The action will then shift to Indore for the second game on Sunday (September 24) and conclude in Rajkot on Wednesday (September 27). India will then head to Guwahati for their first World Cup warm-up game against England on September 30 and will take on the Netherlands on October 3.

India squad for 1st & 2nd ODI: KL Rahul (C & WK), Ravindra Jadeja (VC), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan (WK), Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

India squad for 3rd ODI: Rohit Sharma (C), Hardik Pandya, (VC), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel*, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj

*Subject to fitness