As India is scheduled to begin their 2023 ODI World Cup campaign against Australia on October 8 (Sunday) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, the spotlight will be on the playing combination that captain Rohit Sharma opts for the high-voltage contest. The Men in Blue were already struck with a huge blow when stylish in-form batter Shubman Gill was revealed to be suffering from dengue.
In all likelihood, Gill will miss the country's opening World Cup fixture. It will be a massive blow for India as no batter has scored more runs in ODIs in 2023 than Gill. But such is the nature of the sport that teams and captains need to adjust and adapt on the fly, especially in big tournaments like the quadrennial ICC competition.
Ahead of the India vs Australia ODI World Cup fixture, let's take a look at what could be the playing XI for the Men in Blue.
Openers: Captain Rohit Sharma will open the innings alongside Ishan Kishan, who is likely to replace Gill. The Hitman has been in solid form and Kishan's record as an opener is outstanding. The right-hand left-hand combination would be tasked with giving the team a solid start.
Middle-order: Virat Kohli will bat at his customary No.3 position followed by Shreyas Iyer and wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul at No.4 and No.5 respectively.
All-rounders: Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja are two important cogs in this Indian side that provide stability and add depth to the team. Ravichandran Ashwin is likely to get the nod ahead of Shardul Tahkur as the conditions in Chennai are historically conducive for slow bowlers.
Spinner: Kuldeep Yadav has been India's best spinner in white-ball cricket in the last couple of years. He will be a vital part of India's spin troika on Sunday.
Fast bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami will be the two frontline seamers for India in the clash against Australia.
India's predicted playing XI vs Australia: Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
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