SaralnamaIrfan Pathan selected India's playing XI for the first ODI against Australia in Perth. He chose Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma as openers, with Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul in the middle order. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Axar Patel were picked as all-rounders. Kuldeep Yadav is the spinner, while Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh lead the pace attack. Pathan included 23-year-old Harshit Rana as the third pacer, citing his batting ability. He believes the series will be a learning experience for new captain Gill, emphasizing the importance of respecting senior players Rohit and Kohli. (Updated 18 Oct 2025, 14:22 IST; source: link)
Key Points
- Irfan Pathan selected India's playing XI for the first ODI against Australia in Perth on 19 Oct 2025
- He chose Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma as openers, with Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul in the middle order
- Nitish Kumar Reddy and Axar Patel were picked as all-rounders