The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the squad for the three-match ODI series against Australia at home, which will serve as the final preparation for both teams before the ODI World Cup. Ravichandran Ashwin has made a surprise comeback to the squad after being left out of the provisional squad. KL Rahul will lead the team in the absence of Rohit Sharma for the first two games, but both Rohit and Virat Kohli will return for the final match. Shreyas Iyer, who missed the latter half of the Asia Cup due to back spasm, has also been included in the team. All-rounder Axar Patel will miss the first two games due to a quad injury, but his inclusion for the final game will depend on his fitness. Kuldeep Yadav, the man-of-the-series in the recently concluded Asia Cup, has been rested for the first two matches and will return for the final game. The inclusion of Ashwin indicates that he is still in contention for India's World Cup campaign. Skipper Rohit Sharma has expressed confidence in Ashwin's abilities, emphasizing his consistent performances in Test cricket. Young batter Tilak Varma and pacer Prasidh Krishna have also been included in the squad. The ODI series will take place on September 22, 24, and 27.
