On Saturday, October 4, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the Indian squad for the ODI and T20I series against Australia. Notably, several key players were missing from the ODI lineup, including wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant, who was ruled out due to a foot injury.
With Pant sidelined, many expected Sanju Samson—India’s first-choice T20I keeper—to be included in the ODI squad as a backup to KL Rahul. However, Sanju Samson was surprisingly left out, with uncapped wicket-keeper Dhruv Jurel being preferred instead.
Sanju Samson exclusion from the ODI team caused a stir, particularly as the wicket-keeper spot was open. In his last ODI appearance, he had scored a century against South Africa, leading many fans and analysts to question the BCCI’s decision to overlook him for the 50-over format.
Ajit Agarkar Explains Why Sanju Samson Missed Out on ODI Squad
India’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar addressed the exclusion of Sanju Samson from the upcoming ODI squad, explaining that the decision was based on batting positions. He stated that Samson is primarily a top-order batter, while the team needed a like-for-like backup for wicket-keeper KL Rahul, who bats in the middle order. This led to Jurel being preferred.
“Sanju Samson can’t play in the middle order in ODIs; he is a top-order batsman. Since KL Rahul is the current wicket-keeper and usually bats at number five, the selectors wanted a like-for-like replacement. It’s about the batting position. The selectors view Sanju Samson as a top-order batter in ODIs, which is why, for now, Jurel has been chosen,” Agarkar said.
In the Indian ODI squad, Shubman Gill has been named the new captain, with Shreyas Iyer appointed as vice-captain. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are also part of the squad, leaving questions about their long-term roles in the team.
India and Australia are set to play three ODIs from October 19 to 25, followed by a five-match T20I series from October 29 to November 8. All-rounder Hardik Pandya has been ruled out of both series due to injury, while Jasprit Bumrah has been rested for the ODIs to manage his workload but will feature in the T20