The upcoming Indian tour of Australia is one of the most expected ones given that the home team will be looking to avenge their Test series loss to India the last time these two teams met down under.
The BCCI had named a 30-man squad for the Test series and extensive squads for the limited-overs series as well, which will see India and Australia engaging in three T20Is and as many ODI matches before the Tests began.
There were a few new names in the squads that were previously announced, and a few excluded to the surprise of many, but it has come to light that, in the ongoing IPL 2020, things have changed a lot and that changes to the squads were to be made.
AUS v IND 2020-21: Virat Kohli's team to start training in Sydney from November 13, says report
Hence on Monday, November 9, 2020, the BCCI announced revisions to the previously named squad which saw some drastic changes.
Here are the revisions named by the BCCI to India’s squads for the Australia tour 2020-21:
1. BCCI revealed that Virat Kohli had written to the board about his plans to return to India in January from Australia, to be with his wife Anushka Sharma for the birth of their first baby. The BCCI honoring the Indian captain’s request confirmed granting paternity leave to the Indian captain. They also announced that he will return after the first Test against Australia in Adelaide.
2. A controversy erupted when Rohit Sharma was left out of the Indian squad for Australia due to fitness issues. But Rohit participated in the latter part of the IPL 2020, after missing four matches for his franchise, the Mumbai Indians. This led to many experts and fans alike questioning miscommunication between the board and Rohit Sharma.
AUS v IND 2020-21: India's Test series fortunes dependent on Kohli's captaincy - Ganguly
Now BCCI has confirmed that Rohit Sharma was included in the Indian touring party, but he will only be available for the four-match Test series and has been rested from the limited-overs leg of the tour. The BCCI Medical Team has been monitoring Rohit Sharma’s fitness and has briefed All-India Senior Selection Committee on the same.
3. BCCI mentioned that Ishant Sharma, who has been undergoing his rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, will be added to India’s Test squad, once he fully recovers and gains sufficient match fitness.
4. Varun Chakravarthy has been excluded from India’s T20I squad owing to a shoulder injury and T Natarajan was named as his replacement.
5. Sanju Samson was added to the Indian ODI squad as an additional wicket-keeper. He was already part of the T20I squad.
6. Senior Indian wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha has sustained injuries to both his hamstrings during his side’s IPL game on 3rd November. A call on his availability will be taken later.
AUS v IND 2020-21: Australian greats bat for Will Pucovski’s selection for India Tests as opener
7. Kamlesh Nagarkoti will not be traveling to Australia as a net bowler. Instead, he will continue to work with the medical team on his bowling workload management.
The revised squads are as below:
Team India T20I squad:
Virat Kohli (C), Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul (VC and WK), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Navdeep Saini, Deepak Chahar, T Natarajan.
Team India ODI squad:
Virat Kohli (C), Shikhar Dhawan, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul (VC and WK), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Mayank Agarwal, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur, Sanju Samson (WK).
Team India Test squad:
Virat Kohli (C), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (VC), Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Mohd. Siraj.
(BCCI inputs)
