Why are Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma rested for first 2 ODIs against Australia ?
India will look for their last and final preparation for the ODI World Cup at home as they take on Australia in a three-match series starting September 22.
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India will play Australia in a three-match series beginning on September 22 as their final preparation for the ODI World Cup. India won the Asia Cup in Colombo on Sunday, defeating Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in the final. The selection committee made as many as four adjustments, despite the fact that most would have anticipated India to remain unchanged, save for Axar Patel's possible injury.
BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar addressed the media essentially one day after India's Asia Cup victory and announced the squad for the three-match home series against Pat Cummins' team. India chose a 15-member squad for the first two matches, and a 17-member squad for the last match.
While the selectors added only two players to their 15-man World Cup squad for the final match on September 27 in Baroda, India dismissed four regulars for the first two games. The first two games to be played without Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, and Kuldeep Yadav.
In response to a query from the press, Agarkar disclosed, "Few of the players have received a break." "Rohit has taken a break."
"During the third game, all players will be available. We will compete with our World Cup team. This [squad for the first two ODIs] affords guys sitting on the sidelines a chance. It is still a formidable squad. Who knows, if we hadn't had so much cricket at the Asia Cup, we might have thought differently."
Both Rohit and Kohli were excused for the ODI series against the West Indies and only returned for the Asia Cup. In an effort to gauge the depth of India's reserve, both players relinquished their batting positions in the first ODI against the West Indies before being rested for the second and third games. They subsequently missed the T20I match and the Ireland tour.
India's squad for first two ODIs vs Australia:
KL Rahul (c), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Tilak Varma, Prasidh Krishna, R Ashwin, Washington Sundar
India's Squad for third ODI vs Australia:
Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Axar Patel, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Washington Sundar, R. Ashwin
