There was outrage over KL Rahul's selection for the ODI and T20I series against Australia. The Karnataka batsman had failed badly last year and couldn't make the most of the opportunity given. 

Rahul was removed from the team after the controversy in Koffee with Karan, but he wasn't added back after the suspension got over. Instead, BCCI asked him to play against England Lions. 

Chief selector MSK Prasad has tried to answer why he picked Rahul in the squad again. “At such a major tournament [World Cup], we can’t afford to go in without a third opener. That’s why we have included KL Rahul for the T20Is and the ODIs against Australia. We have to see how he performs because his form is also very important,” Prasad said in an interview on Hotstar.

Rahul was benched when India went with their two openers and that's one of the reasons he wasn't given chance in middle orders. 

Dinesh Karthik, who was tested for the finisher's role is left out of the squad against Australia. Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar feels Karthik suits for the role.

“We have included him (Rishabh Pant) considering the fact he is a left-hander. We will try and figure the best possible batting position for him. With a left-hander in the side, there is an advantage of left-right combination,” the chief selector had said.

(With Hotstar Inputs)