The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee has revealed the 15-member squad for India for the upcoming Australia tour. India and Australia will play three ODIs between October 19 and 25, which will be followed by five T20Is starting on October 29.
The senior duo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have made their comeback to the ODI squad. The squad saw some surprise calls taken by the sectors, which has become a topic of discussion among the fans. Some of the selections have irked the fans.
Meanwhile, some surprise decisions have led to criticism. These decisions have raised questions over the future of Virat and Rohit. So, let's discuss here about the surprises or blunders made during the squad announcement for the Australia tour.
Top Bloopers from India's Squad for Australia Tour
Rohit sacked as ODI captain
Rohit Sharma led India in 56 ODIs, winning 42 with a win percentage of 75, which is among the best in the history of ODI cricket. Under Rohit, India only lost one game combined in the ODI World Cup 2023 and ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
He is one of the best ODI captains ever. But despite all these achievements, he was sacked from the ODI captaincy. Shubman Gill has now become the new captain. That was an unexpected call for many. Rohit is already 38, and he will be 40 at the time of the 2027 ODI World Cup. So, does it mean that we might not see him for the next World Cup?
Last of Shami in Indian colors
There were hopes that Mohammed Shami might make his comeback to the Indian ODI squad for Australia. He last played an ODI during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Shami has recovered from his injury and is active at the domestic level. But selectors have not gone for him and picked up young bowling options. Does it mean Shami's playing days for India are over? Already he has played very little cricket since Gautam Gambhir has taken charge as India's head coach.
No Ravindra Jadeja for ODIs
In the recently concluded test between India and West Indies in Ahmedabad, Ravindra Jadeja won his 11th Man of the Match award, which is the joint-second highest for India. He is in good form, but the selectors have looked beyond him. India have given chances to Axar Patel and Washington Sundar for the ODIs instead of picking Jadeja.
Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant rested
Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya is a vital player for the white-ball setup. He did well in the Asia Cup 2025 but missed the final due to a fitness issue. Hence, the selectors have decided to rest him for the Australia tour. Nitish Kumar Reddy has replaced him in both squads. Apart from Hardik, Rishabh Pant is also not part of the Australia tour.
Shreyas Iyer into leadership
There have been a lot of talks about Shreyas Iyer and his future in the Indian squad. Recently, he requested BCCI for a break from the longest format and is currently captaining India A against Australia A. Iyer is back in ODIs after his successful stint in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Not just this, he has been promoted as the new vice-captain for India, indicating how India are looking at him for the future.
India's Squad for ODIs: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer (vc), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Md. Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (wk)
India's Squad for T20Is: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Jasprit Bumrah, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Abhishek Sharma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), and Washington Sundar