Former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar has revealed his playing XI for the opening match of the three-match ODI series between India and Australia at the Optus Stadium in Perth on October 19.
The three-match ODI series will see the return of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to the Indian cricket team. Kohli and Rohit Sharma were last seen in action for India during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign in the UAE earlier this year.
Sanjay Bangar reveals Bold India XI for 1st ODI against Australia
Ahead of the first ODI, Bangar picked a strong top order in his preferred playing XI, with new captain Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma at the top.
Virat Kohli has been selected at No. 3, while Shreyas Iyer, who will serve as India’s vice-captain, is at No. 4. On the other hand, KL Rahul has returned as the wicketkeeper-batsman at number 5. The middle order consists of Akshar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar.
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The trio of all-rounders will provide both depth and balance to the lineup. However, Bangar took a surprise decision by dropping in-form wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav as the former Indian coach opted for a pace attack led by Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana.
Other names like Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Prasidh Krishna were not included in Bangar’s playing eleven for the first ODI against Australia. Bangar has adopted a bold and modern approach to counter the conditions in Perth, emphasizing all-round options and fast bowling firepower.
Sanjay Bangar’s playing XI for Perth ODI:
Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (VC), KL Rahul (WK), Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj and Harshit Rana.
India is ready to make a comeback in ODIs after a stellar performance in the ICC Champions Trophy.
Meanwhile, the Men in Blue will return to ODI action for the first time since their victorious ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign, where they defeated New Zealand in the final to lift their first ICC ODI title since 2013. The final was Rohit Sharma’s last innings as India’s ODI captain.
Apart from the return of Kohli and Rohit to action, India’s rivalry with Australia has also created additional excitement among the fans for the ODI series. The two teams last met in a bilateral ODI series ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup, with India claiming a 2-1 win on home soil.
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Since then, India and Australia have clashed three times – twice in the 2023 World Cup and once in the 2025 Champions Trophy. While India won the group encounter in the ODI World Cup and the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Australia won the final in Ahmedabad.
As Kohli and Rohit reunite under Shubman Gill, all eyes will be on how the new India team handles the pace and bounce of Australian conditions. After three ODI matches, India and Australia will also play a three-match T20 series in October-November.
