The BCCI has announced India’s squads for the upcoming ODI and T20 series against Australia, marking the much-anticipated return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who last played in India colours during the Champions Trophy earlier this year. Shubman Gill has been named captain of the ODI side, with Shreyas Iyer joining him as vice-captain, forming the leadership core for the team. One notable decision in the ODI squad is the selection of Dhruv Jurel as the second wicketkeeper alongside KL Rahul. Jurel, who impressed with a brilliant century against the West Indies in the first Test, is yet to make his ODI debut. With Rishabh Pant sidelined due to injury, many expected Sanju Samson to step in as the backup keeper, but the selection panel, led by chief selector Ajit Agarkar, chose to go with Jurel instead.
India’s ODI squad: Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (VC), 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.India’s T20I squad: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (VC), 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.Samson, however, retains his place in the T20I squad. He was asked to bat in the middle order in the Asia Cup while Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma opened. Samson delivered crucial runs for the team, including a vital 50-run partnership with Tilak Varma in the Asia Cup final after India were reduced to 20 for 3 against Pakistan. He finished as India’s third-highest scorer in the tournament, accumulating 132 runs at an average of 33. Samson’s ODI record remains strong, having played 16 matches with 510 runs at an average of 56.7, including three fifties and one century. His last ODI century came against South Africa, which was also the last ODI he played. Despite his impressive stats, the selectors have opted to give Jurel a chance in the 50-over format, reflecting the growing competition and depth in India’s limited-overs squad.
