Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) star batter Devdutt Padikkal will remain in Australia and will not return with the India A squad, which is scheduled to depart on Monday. This decision follows the unavailability of captain Rohit Sharma and opener Shubman Gill for the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth, starting Friday.
According to a Cricbuzz report, the Indian team management, in collaboration with national selectors, has opted to retain the Karnataka batter as a backup option for the senior squad.
Padikkal recently delivered performances of 36, 88, 26, and 1 in the unofficial Tests against Australia A. While these numbers might not usually justify a call-up to the senior team, his experience with Australian conditions and adaptability make him a dependable choice. Padikkal, who made his Test debut against England earlier this year and has played in T20Is, is viewed as a reliable alternative in the batting lineup.
Shubman Gill has been ruled out of the Perth Test due to a fractured thumb, while captain Rohit, who stayed back in India for the birth of his second child, is unlikely to join the team in time for the match. Meanwhile, KL Rahul is dealing with an elbow injury, although he managed to bat during a three-day match simulation at the WACA on Sunday.
Rohit’s travel plans remain unclear, and with his wife recently giving birth, his availability for the first Test appears doubtful. Additionally, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided not to send Mohammed Shami to Australia at this stage.
Shami, who recently returned to competitive cricket after a year-long hiatus, participated in a Ranji Trophy match between Bengal and Madhya Pradesh in Indore. The team management has opted for him to continue gaining match practice in domestic cricket before considering him for a recall. Shami is expected to represent Bengal in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament, which is set to commence this week.
India squad for Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25
Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.
Travelling reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed.
