India will be picking their squad for the white-ball series against Australia, with the likes of Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant being unavailable for the eight games. Meanwhile, the Indian selectors will also discuss the workload of Test captain Shubman Gill and Jasprit Bumrah.
India all-rounder Hardik Pandya and wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant would not be available for the white-ball series against Australia due to their injuries, news agency PTI reported.
Hardik suffered a quadriceps injury during the Asia Cup 2025 and missed out on the final, while Pant picked up a toe fracture during the Test series against England. Pant suffered the injury during the fourth Test and missed the fifth clash. He is also out of the West Indies Test series, with Dhruv Jurel replacing him.
Gill and Bumrah’s workload to be discussed
The Indian selectors will sit to pick India’s squad on Saturday, with the team expected to be announced on the same day. Apart from the duo missing the series, there will be discussions on Shubman Gill and Jasprit Bumrah’s workload, and they might end up missing the series that kicks off on October 19 in Perth.
Both Gill and Bumrah played in the Asia Cup 2025 and are also part of the two Test matches against the West Indies at home. Gill, the captain, and Bumrah are playing the first Test that kicked off on October 2. While Gill is the skipper and will play the second one too, Bumrah is also likely to play the second game in Delhi, as he has made himself available for both the matches. The second one starts on October 10.
If the second Test goes to the distance till October 14, there would be a short turnaround with the Australia series being only five days later. India will also have to travel a lot for their matches Down Under, which could force the selectors to rest the duo. Moreover, the home Test South Africa against South Africa is also lined up in November.
Kohli, Rohit set to be picked for Australia series
Meanwhile, talismanic batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are reportedly set to play the ODI series against Australia. The two players have retired from Tests and T20Is, and there have been conjectures about their future in the ODI format.
As reported by Cricbuzz, both Kohli and Rohit are set to be picked in the ODI squads. India will be touring Australia for eight white-ball games with three ODIs and five T20Is. The ODIs will be played first from October 19, followed by the next two games on October 23 and 25. The T20I series will kick off on October 29 and will last till November 8. The T20I squad is also likely to be announced alongside the ODI side.