Published: Mar 14, 2023, 11:17 AM (IST)
Edited: Mar 14, 2023, 11:34 AM (IST)
New Delhi: After humiliating Australia for the fourth straight time in a row in the Border Gavaskar Trophy and creating several new records, Rohit Sharma’s men will now look to get the better of five time World Champions in three-match ODI series.
In the World Cup year, the Men in Blue will hope to win the third straight ODI series. They’ve already defeated Sri Lanka and New Zealand earlier this year at home and a win against Australia will be an icing on the cake.
The three ODIs will take place on March 17, 19 and 22 in Mumbai, Visakhapatnam and Chennai respectively. But due to personal reasons Indian skipper Rohit Sharma will not play the series opener at Wankhede. In his absence, Hardik Pandya will lead the side for the first time in ODIs.
India have already announced an 18-member squad for the three 50-over matches but due to a back injury, Shreyas Iyer is out. The Mumbaikar is expected to sit out of action for three months. He could be replaced by Sanju Samson or Rahul Tripathi.
Here are five players to watch out for in the IND vs AUS ODI series.
Virat Kohli
King Kohli found his form in the fourth Test against Australia where he scored 186 runs in India’s first inning. He’ll look to continue the same and add more runs to his tally in the upcoming three-match ODI series.
Shubman Gill
Like Virat, the 23-year-old Gill also scored a century in the Ahmedabad Test. He has already scored one double century, two hundred and one fifty in six ODIs played this year. Gill looks in prime touch at the moment and will be a key player.
Suryakumar Yadav
World No. 1 T20I batter Surya will get a chance to play all three ODIs in Iyer’s absence. He’s yet to establish himself in the 50-over format and the upcoming series provides him with a great opportunity to showcase his skills in ODI cricket.
Umran Malik
In Bumrah’s absence, Umran will be the star pacer to watch out for. He has impressed with his pace and wicket-taking abilities so far but needs to be more consistent with his performances if he wants to confirm a place in ODI World Cup squad.
Ravindra Jadeja
After Player of the Series performance in Test series, Jadeja will make a comeback in ODIs and would like to rule the roost. He’s one of the most important players in the setup for Team India and his performance will have a big say on how India will fare in three ODIs.
