Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar announced the squad for the ODIs and T20Is against Australia in Australia after India’s dominant win over the West Indies in Ahmedabad. Ajit Agarkar came and attended the press conference after Shubman Gill did his with regards to the first Test match. The big talking point that emerged was Shubman Gill being elevated as Indian ODI captain and Rohit Sharma removed from the leadership group. Both Rohit and Virat Kohli will feature as players while Shreyas Iyer was named as Gill’s debuty in the ODI squad.
The squad was largely on expected lines otherwise with Jasprit Bumrah being rested for the ODIs while Hardik Pandya was not available for the whole tour due to injury. Ravindra Jadeja was ignored as well while Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar are part of the squads and so is Harshit Rana. The T20I squad looks more or less the same as Asia Cup with Hardik not there and Nitish replacing him.
Ajit Agarkar claimed Rohit has been informed how difficult it is to have different captains in different formats.Â
BCCO Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar in the press conference stated that Rohit Sharma has been communicated about the change in ODI captaincy while also confirming that there is a clear vision towards the 2027 ODI World Cup. Ajit Agarkar also stated in the press conference that it is “practically impossible” to have 3 different captains across formats, and that this decision would also help head coach Gautam Gambhir.
Interestingly, Ajit Agarkar remained tight lipped regarding the exact details of his conversation with Rohit regarding the captaincy switch. This seemed weird as Agarkar has been more effusive and vocal in his earlier press conferences, but here he seemed a little anxious. Something might have happened behind the scenes regarding the captaincy switch which we will never know about in the future.
Ajit Agarkar’s interesting reasoning of ignoring Ravindra Jadeja from ODI squad
Another notable exclusion was of Ravindra Jadeja an instrumental player for India in the Champions Trophy 2025. Chairman of selectors gave the reasoning of condition-specific saying that India will not need more than two spin bowling all-rounders in Australia and that is the reason why Jadeja has been left out of the ODI squad. Ajit Agarkar though later confirmed that Jadeja is not out of reckoning and is still in the scheme of things.
The fact of the matter is clear. Axar Patel is ahead in the pecking order in ODIs ahead of Jadeja. The same can be said of Washington Sundar who is also part of the squad. The fact that Jadeja is not there means he may not be considered for matches at home in future and we may well see the end of the road for Jadeja in ODIs as he has already retired from T20Is before. Jadeja could well become a one-format player which is playing Test cricket.
Ajit Agarkar clarified the absence of Hardik Pandya
India’s star all-rounder Hardik Pandya is not available for the whole Australia tour confirmed Ajit Agarkar. Hardik Pandya if we remember picked up an injury in the Asia Cup 2025 and missed the final against Pakistan. Agarkar stated that there will be further clarity regarding his return after a check-up with the BCCI COE next week.
This was on expected lines, and did not raise much eyebrows as Pandya was indeed injured and so Nitish Reddy has found a place in both the squads.
Ajit Agarkar comments on the difficulty it was in replacing Rohit Sharma as captain
On the difficulty in replacing Rohit Sharma as captain, Ajit Agarkar said in the press conference: “You’ve got to look at what’s coming forward and what’s in the best interests of the team. You want to try and make the call reasonably early to try and give the other guy (Gill) a good chance.”Â
Ajit Agarkar’s blunt take on whether Virat and Rohit needs to play Vijay Hazare Trophy.Â
When asked whether Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma needs to play the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Ajit Agarkar said: “We’ve made it clear that whenever the players are available, they should be playing domestic cricket.”Â
Dhruv Jurel & Nitish Kumar Reddy earns maiden call-up in ODIs.Â
Wicket=keeper batter Dhruv Jurel and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy have been included in India’s ODI squad for the Australia series. Both players may make their debuts in the 50-over format should they be included in the playing XI. Jurel and Reddy have got the spots due to injuries to Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya.
Shreyas Iyer earns Vice-captaincy position in ODIs.Â
In a move that is seen as rewarding to performances, Shreyas Iyer has not only returned to the scheme of things but has been appointed as Vice-Captain in ODI squad. Shreyas led his IPL team to back-t0-back finals and will be a deputy to Gill in Australia. This means he will be a part of the leadership group which is great for his fans. Shreyas has been India’s most consistent run-scorers in ODIs recently, as he lead the charts for India in Champions Trophy 2025.
India’s T20I side has a similar look to Asia Cup.Â
Every single player from India’s Asia Cup winning squad has been retained for the five-match T20I series against Australia, except Hardik Pandya who is out injured. Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy have been the latest additions to the T20I squad.
No Abhishek Sharma in ODIs while Yashasvi Jaiswal returns to the ODI set-up.Â
Despite winning the Player of the Tournament in the Asia Cup 2025, and reports that suggested that he’s on the selectors’ radar for the 50-over format, opener Abhishek Sharma has not been included in India’s squad for the ODIs against Australia.
Yashasvi Jaiswal returned to the ODI set-up, although he will be most likely act as a back-up opener to Rohit and Gill.
End of the road for Mohammed Shami.Â
Mohammed Shami appears to be out of the race and Indian scheme of things now. Aged 35, Shami has been suffering from persistent injury problems for a while. Since Shami is not featuring in either the T20I or the ODI squad for the tour of Australia could be a definitive sign that the selectors are moving on from him. There was no mention of Shami by Agarkar in the press conference whatsoever.
Ajit Agarkar comments on a possible burnout for Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill is now going to captain India in two formats while he is the vice-captain in the other. So, he will most likely play in all the matches for India which may lead to burnout according to some experts. Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar does not see it happening though for the young man.
Speaking to the press, Agarkar said: “Hopefully not. He’s still quite young. We saw what he did in England under immense pressure. So there were really positive signs there. You’ve seen his record in one-day cricket as a batter. We hope there’s no burnout. It is true there’s a lot of cricket coming thick and fast over the next few months in particular. Him particularly, but the team management as well, we’ll try and manage it as best as we can.”Â
Ajit Agarkar also mentioned Tilak Varma as a name that missed out on ODI squad.Â
BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar also namedropped Tilak Varma when talking about the players who narrowly missed out on the ODI team. Tilak was the Player of the Match in the Asia Cup final 2025.
What Lies Ahead for Shubman Gill and India in ODIs
A big challenge awaits Shubman Gill as the 26-year-old will be under immense pressure. He has big shoes to fill of Rohit Sharma and also being captain in two formats will be a challenge for him. He will also have to manage the personalities of Virat and Rohit. It also ends Rohit’s magnificent ODI record as captain with a win percentage of 75 which is the most by any Indian captain with more than 10 matches in charge.
The key takeaways from this announcement is that it is the start of a new era in Indian cricket while it is the end of an era for Rohit and Virat. They will not be picked on reputation anymore and only on merit. Their position till 2027 World Cup remains uncertain. With Gill in charge, and Gautam Gambhir with absolute power, it could be the end of the road for Virat and Rohit.
Don’t be surprised if both decides to retire after this Australia series. Indian fans would be hoping otherwise, but we live in uncertain times at this stage with one person having absolute power. Let’s see how the team performs Down Under in the latter part of the month.
Also Read:Â AUS VS IND: 3 Best Spells Of Mitchell Starc In T20IS.