The much-awaited three-match ODI series between India and Australia is set to commence on Sunday, October 19, at the Perth Stadium. This encounter between the two powerhouses of world cricket marks the return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to international cricket after seven months.
While Australia will miss a few of their key players like Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Glenn Maxwell, and Pat Cummins for the entire series, the likes of Josh Inglis and Adam Zampa will miss a part of it. On the other hand, India have come into the tour with almost a full-strength squad, with Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya being the only first-choice players giving it a miss.
Cricket enthusiasts are looking forward to what is expected to be a mouth-watering contest involving two phenomenal teams. This could also be the last time Kohli and Rohit are touring with the Indian team to play in Australia. It has intensified the buzz around the series. Also, it is going to be Shubman Gill’s first assignment as India’s full-time ODI captain after he replaced Rohit ahead of the tour.
Here’s India’s predicted XI for the 1st ODI against Australia
Openers: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (C)
Rohit Sharma is set to reunite with Shubman Gill at the top of the order. In his last ODI innings, which was in the 2025 Champions Trophy final against New Zealand in Dubai, the Mumbai batter won the Player of the Match award for his 76-run knock in Dubai. The 38-year-old will look to continue in the same vein against the Aussies.
Meanwhile, Shubman Gill has not yet delivered in ICC events, but he has been a force to reckon with in bilateral series, especially in the 50-over format. The 26-year-old averages a staggering 59.04 and has a strike rate of 99.57 in the 55 ODIs he has played so far. He will look to make a mark in his first ODI series as captain in a country where he made his Test debut.
Middle-order: Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK)
Virat Kohli has an excellent record in ODIs in Australia. In 29 matches, he has amassed 1327 runs at an average of 51.03 and a strike rate of 89.06. The former India skipper has five centuries and six fifties Down Under. His face-off against Mitchell Starc will be intriguing to watch.
Shreyas Iyer has been able to cement his place at No. 4 in India’s ODI setup with some consistent performances in recent years. He was India’s third-highest run-getter in the 2023 ODI World Cup after Kohli and Rohit. However, in the 2025 Champions Trophy, he was only behind Rachin Ravindra in the standings for leading run-getters in the tournament.
To complete the middle order, KL Rahul has a stunning average of 61.08 in 17 ODIs played against Australia. However, the average drops to 31 for the three games he has played Down Under. The Karnataka cricketer will have a key role to play in the middle-order. He can anchor the innings and also shift gears towards the back-end.
All-rounders: Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel
Nitish Kumar Reddy is expected to make his ODI debut after playing nine Tests and four T20Is already. He will look to play the role of Hardik Pandya. The Hyderabad all-rounder will have extra insurance bowling on grounds in Australia, which have big boundaries.
Axar Patel will play the spin-bowling all-rounder’s role in the side. He will be under the spotlight as the selectors have shown a lot of faith in him and omitted the experienced Ravindra Jadeja from the side. Axar is a reliable bowler, and fans will be waiting to see how he fares with the bat on the Australian surfaces, known for their pace and bounce.
Bowlers: Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj
Kuldeep Yadav has been in splendid form of late. He finished as the highest wicket-taker in the T20 Asia Cup 2025 and the subsequent Test series against the West Indies. The left-arm wrist spinner has three wickets from as many ODIs in Australia at an economy rate of 5.90. However, the 30-year-old has much more experience coming into this series and will hold the key through the middle overs.
Harshit Rana has received a lot of flak and trolling from a section of fans after his selection on the Australian tour. However, India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has shown tremendous confidence in his abilities, openly criticizing his naysayers. Rana will look to silence his doubters with a solid performance Down Under. His style of bowling is well-suited for the Australian pitches.
Arshdeep Singh is India’s leading wicket-taker in T20I cricket. He has shown that he is ready to shoulder the burden of expectations in the shortest format of the game whenever Jasprit Bumrah decides to hang up his boots. However, this series will show how much the Punjab speedster is ready for the challenges of ODI cricket.
India’s workhorse, Mohammed Siraj, is going to spearhead the bowling attack for India. He goes into a completely different gear when Bumrah isn’t playing. Gill will hope that the experienced campaigner gets him wickets with the new ball. However, on a personal front, Siraj will look to make a mark in the back-end as well. Rohit, then-captain of the Indian team, didn’t pick the veteran bowler in the side as he wasn’t confident about his death-bowling credentials.
India’s predicted playing XI for the first ODI against Australia:
Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (C), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj.
