IND vs AUS: India Squad for Australia ODIs 2023 (Predicted)

Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan will open the innings alongside the likes of KL Rahul or Rohit Sharma or Shubman Gill in the 3-match ODI series against Sri Lanka and Australia. Shikhar Dhawan scored 72 in the 1st ODI against New Zealand in the  3-match ODI series. He had also done well against Zimbabwe in the 1st ODI by scoring 81* and 97 against West Indies in the 1st ODI in the preceding ODI series, but had a poor series against Proteas.

The 37-year-old may bid adieu to international cricket after the conclusion of ODI WC 2023. Shikhar Dhawan’s last ODI century came during the 2019 ICC World Cup match against Australia at the Kennington Oval in London. He has hit 17 ODI tons. The left-handed batter is a regular member of the Indian team in the ODI format.

Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill was Man of the series in the ODI series against West Indies and Zimbabwe where he amassed 205 and 245 runs respectively averaging 102.5 and 122.5. He averages 61.27 after playing 14 ODIs amassing 674 runs with 1 ton and 4 fifties at a strike rate of 100.45.

He hit his maiden century- a career-best 130 against Zimbabwe after scoring 98* against West Indies when rain intervened and he was denied a ton. He may feature in the 2023 WC Indian squad. He wasn’t named in the Indian ODI squad facing Bangladesh but may return against Sri Lanka and Australia.

KL Rahul

KL Rahul might be another middle-order batsman for the team in the 2023 ODI World Cup and ODI series against Sri Lanka. He may also open the innings. The right-handed 31-year-old batter has been named as the keeper for the ODI series against Bangladesh in Rishabh Pant’s absence. KL Rahul has hit 5 tons in his ODI career. He top scored in the 1st ODI against Bangladesh, scoring 73 off 70 when other Indian batters struggled.

Rohit Sharma

The right-handed batter and Indian current skipper Rohit Sharma has shown decent form in the 50-over format this year. Rohit Sharma will open the innings for the team or may bat in the middle order against Sri Lanka and Australia in ODIs.

He is opening with Shikhar Dhawan in the ongoing ODI series against Bangladesh. He was rested for the ODI series against Zimbabwe and West Indies and his last ODI series was against England before the ongoing ODIs against Bangladesh in July 2022 where he hit 76* in the 1st ODI. He has scored a record 3 double tons including the highest recorded individual score of 264.

Virat Kohli

The 34-year-old middle-order batter run machine Virat Kohli’s recent ODI form isn’t that great. But a good show in the Asia Cup 2022 and T20 World Cup 2022, where he was among the leading run-getters, will give him the necessary confidence to return to form in ODIs too.

He has hit 43 ODI tons, the last of which came in August 2019 when he slammed back-to-back tons against West Indies. He is the 2nd highest century scorer in ODIs after Sachin Tendulkar (49 ODI tons) and the 6th highest run-getter in ODIs.

Sanju Samson & Rishabh Pant (wk)

Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant will compete for a spot in the Indian ODI squad for the 2023 ODI World Cup. Sanju Samson has played only 11 ODIs where he amassed 330 runs averaging 66. He has hit 2 fifties with a top score of 86* against Proteas in ODIs. He has a strike rate of 104.76.

On the other hand, Rishabh Pant has played more ODIs-29 but averages only 35.63 amassing 855 runs. He has also hit 5 fifties and 1 ton. His career best of 125* came against England in July 2022.  He has a strike rate of 107.55. Surprisingly, Sanju Samson hasn’t been named in the ODI squad facing Bangladesh in a 3-match series. Wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant had been released from India’s ODI squad for the series against Bangladesh.

Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav has hit 2 fifties but has failed to convert fifties into tons. His highest ODI score is only 64 against West Indies in February 2022. But he is having an excellent run of form in T20Is, where he has hit 2 tons and 12 fifties and averages 44 at an outstanding strike rate of 180.98. He is currently ranked No. 1 in T20Is by ICC. The 32-year-old right-handed batter isn’t in the ODI squad for the ongoing Bangladesh series.

Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya, the 29-year-old pace all-rounder, was rested for the ODI series against Zimbabwe and West Indies and his last ODI series was against England in July 2022. He scored 71 and picked 4/24 in the last 3rd ODI against England to bag the MOS award for scoring 100 runs and picking 6 scalps in that series. He isn’t in the ODI squad for the Bangladesh series.

Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja missed the T20 World Cup 2022 due to injuries before being named in the ODI and Test squad for the Bangladesh tour. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is yet to fully recover from knee surgery that he underwent in September and will miss the Bangladesh tour as well.

Ravindra Jadeja’s last ODI assignment came in the 2022 tour of England. The spin all-rounder has amassed 2447 runs in 171 ODIs averaging 32.63 apart from taking 189 scalps averaging 37.37.  Ravindra Jadeja may return against Sri Lanka and Australia in the ODI series. If he doesn’t return, Axar Patel may be preferred instead.

Shreyas Iyer

India’s Shreyas Iyer is in sublime form in ODIs boasting of an average of around 48 having amassed nearly 1450 runs in 37 ODIs after the 1st ODI against Bangladesh where he scored 24. He managed 129 runs against New Zealand averaging 64.5 in 2 innings, and 191 runs against South Africa including a 113* in 3 innings. He is having a phenomenal 2022 in ODIs amassing 639 runs in 15 ODIs averaging nearly 60.

Axar Patel

Axar Patel has picked 53 scalps in 44 ODIs averaging 30.26 with a best of 3/24 coming against Zimbabwe in the 1st ODI. He picked 6 scalps averaging 12.33 against Zimbabwe in the 3-match ODI series.

He scored his maiden ODI fifty- a career-best 64* against West Indies in the preceding ODI series. It came off only 35 balls, showcasing his potential as an all-rounder. He didn’t play against New Zealand as he wasn’t named in the squad.

Axar Patel’s confidence though will also be low for having a poor T20 World Cup 2022, where he picked only 3 scalps in 5 T20Is averaging 38.33 at an economy rate of 8.63.  Left-arm spinning all-rounder Axar Patel was not available for selection for the first ODI against Bangladesh. According to sources, Axar Patel is nursing a bruised rib after taking a hit while batting at the nets, but he is playing in the ongoing 2nd ODI against Bangladesh.

Washington Sundar

Washington Sundar has been injury prone but being an off-spinner is an ideal replacement for off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who may be dropped from ODI World Cup 2023 squad as he had an underwhelming T20 World Cup 2022.

Washington Sundar debuted way back in December 2017 but has only featured in about 10 ODIs. He may be included in ODI WC 2023 squad for his age of 23 years being on his side and since he’s an off-spinner unlike wrist spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav.

He, however, failed to pick a single scalp in the recently concluded New Zealand ODI series which was marred by rain. He is in the Indian playing XI in the ODI series against Bangladesh.

Deepak Chahar

Deepak Chahar has featured in only about 12 ODIs since debuting in the 50-over format way back in the 2018 Asia Cup as his career was plagued by injuries.  He was wicketless in the previous ODI series against New Zealand (0/30 in 5 overs) but had picked 5 scalps in 2 games against Zimbabwe in the preceding series averaging 20.4. He is in the Indian playing XI for the 1st ODI and 2nd ODI against Bangladesh.

Umran Malik

Umran Malik debuted in ODIs along with left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh in the 3-match ODI series against New Zealand. He was added as a last-minute replacement for the injured veteran pacer Mohammed Shami for the Bangladesh ODI series.

In 3 ODIs, the express pacer has picked 3 scalps averaging 32.33 but in 3 T20Is, he has picked 2 scalps averaging 56. His economy rate is 6.46 in ODIs and 12.44 in T20Is. Kuldeep Sen debuted in the 1st ODI against Bangladesh but he was replaced by Umran Malik in the 2nd ODI. Umran Malik may be retained by the team management against Sri Lanka and Australia.

Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj debuted in ODIs way back in January 2019 but has played sporadically featuring in 14 ODIs where he picked 21 scalps. His career-best figures of 3/29 came against West Indies in February 2022. He is in the Indian playing XI for the 1st ODI against Bangladesh and was the pick of the Indian bowlers picking 3/32 in 10 overs.

Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal may be picked in India’s 2023 World Cup ODI squad. He has picked 118 scalps in 69 ODIs averaging 26.97. He was wicketless in the 1st ODI against the Kiwis but had picked 7 wickets in 3 ODIs against West Indies and England in the preceding ODI series.

Yuzvendra Chahal was benched surprisingly despite being in the squad throughout the T20 World Cup 2022. He was earlier omitted from India’s T20 WC 2021 squad. He isn’t in the Indian squad facing Bangladesh in a 3-match ODI series but may return against Sri Lanka and Australia.

Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep Yadav who has featured in 72 ODIs since his debut way back in 2017 in the 50 overs format and has picked 118 scalps in 72 ODIs averaging 28.08 is another contender for the specialist spinners slot. He isn’t in the Indian squad facing Bangladesh in a 3-match ODI series but may return against Sri Lanka and Australia.