NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the 18-member Indian team for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, set to commence on November 22 in Perth.
The squad features new additions in the form of Abhimanyu Easwaran, Harshit Rana, and Nitish Rana.
India’s pace attack looks formidable, with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj leading the charge. Akash Deep retains his place after impressive performances against England and Bangladesh, while Prasidh Krishna makes a comeback following rehabilitation for a stress fracture. The Karnataka seamer showcased his skills during India A’s recent Duleep Trophy victory.
Harshit and Nitish, both medium-pace all-rounders, have earned their maiden Test call-ups after stellar performances in the IPL and domestic cricket.
Washington Sundar, who claimed seven wickets in the first innings of the ongoing second Test against New Zealand in Pune, has also been included in the spin department.
However, Axar Patel has been omitted from the squad.
NO SHAMI
The most significant talking point is the absence of Mohammed Shami, who has been working to recover from ankle surgery.
Despite his rehabilitation progress, a recent knee swelling has cast doubt on his availability.
Shami, however, on Sunday shared a video on his social media showcasing his bowling in the nets.
India’s Chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav has also been left out as he seeks long-term treatment for a chronic left groin issue at the BCCI Centre of Excellence.
BCCI said in a statement, “Kuldeep Yadav was unavailable for selection for the tour of Australia since he has been referred to The BCCI Centre of Excellence after the end of the ongoing Test series against New Zealand for long term resolution of his chronic left groin issue.”
Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, and Khaleel Ahmed have been named as reserve players. Bengal’s Abhimanyu Easwaran has been rewarded for his consistent domestic performances and will serve as the third-choice opener alongside captain Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
India’s squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy:
Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.
Reserves:
Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed.