India have named two separate squads for their ODI series against Australia which starts this Friday (September 22), with KL Rahul named as captain for the first two matches before the return of several key names for the final game.

The three-match series is both sides’ final opportunity for fifty-over match practice before the official warm up games for the World Cup begin ahead of the tournament opener on October 5. India have named a 15-played squad for the first two matches while 17 players are in the playing group for the third match.

India squad for the first two ODIs vs Australia: KL Rahul (c), Ravindra Jadeja (vc), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.

India squad for the third ODI vs Australia: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, (vc), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel*, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj.

Rahul has been named as captain for the first two games of the series after his successful return to ODI colours in the Asia Cup. Rohit will be back to take over the reigns for the third ODI along with Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav. Axar Patel has been named in the squad for the final ODI but his selection will be subject to regaining his fitness after he picked up an injury during the Asia Cup.

With Kuldeep locked in to India’s World Cup squad, R Ashwin and Washington Sundar have been drafted into both squads in a seeming shoot-out to be the back-up spinning all-rounder option should Axar’s fitness continue to be a problem going into the World Cup.

The first match of the series will be played at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, before the series travels to Hokar. The final match will be played at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, three days before India’s first warm up match for the World Cup against England.

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