• Home
  • Cricket Analysis
  • From Abhishek To Bumrah Reasons Behind Biggest Omissions From Ind Odi Squad Explained

From Abhishek to Bumrah: Reasons behind biggest omissions from IND ODI squad explained

Rajgeeta Yadav

Notable names missing from India’s ODI squad for Australia Series [Source: AFP]Notable names missing from India’s ODI squad for Australia Series [Source: AFP]

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced India’s squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia, and as always, the selection stirred conversations. While the headline-grabbing news is Shubman Gill replacing Rohit Sharma as India’s ODI captain, with Shreyas Iyer as his deputy, several big names are absent from the squad. 

Some omissions are strategic, some injury-driven, and others are about balancing team combinations. Let’s take a closer look at the notable exclusions and the reasoning behind them.

Abhishek Sharma 

Few youngsters have been as explosive in recent months as Abhishek Sharma. His performance in the 2025 Asia Cup turned heads: 314 runs at a strike rate of 200, making him the tournament’s top scorer. Many expected his name to be a lock in the ODI squad.

So why was he left out? The answer seems to lie in his lack of experience in the 50-over format at the international stage. Notably, his latest outing for India A against Australia didn’t go well, he was dismissed for a duck. 

With India preferring a more tested option in Yashasvi Jaiswal as the backup opener, the selectors may want Abhishek to polish his ODI skills further before giving him a long rope.

Sanju Samson

Sanju Samson has been India’s go-to name in T20I cricket and featured prominently in the Asia Cup 2025. However, his ODI career has never really taken off. The last time he played an ODI was back in 2023 against South Africa. This time too, the selectors opted for Dhruv Jurel as the backup wicketkeeper, with KL Rahul continuing as the first-choice option.

The decision indicates India’s push towards building a younger backup pool for the future while preferring stability in Rahul’s experience.

Jasprit Bumrah

Fans were surprised not to see India’s spearhead pacer Jasprit Bumrah in the ODI squad. But this isn’t about form, it’s about workload management. At 30, Bumrah has had recurring injury concerns in the past, and with major events like the T20 World Cup and upcoming Test series against South Africa and New Zealand, the management is pacing his workload carefully.

By resting him in the ODIs, the team ensures he remains fresh and fit for formats where his role is irreplaceable.

Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant’s absence is perhaps the most straightforward. The wicketkeeper-batter, who was also a part of India’s Champions Trophy 2025 winning squad, has not fully recovered from the foot injury he sustained earlier this year against England. 

At 28, he remains one of India’s most impactful players, but the medical team is in no mood to rush his comeback. Until he regains full match fitness, he will remain on the sidelines.

Hardik Pandya

India ace all-rounder Hardik Pandya suffered an injury just before the Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan, which has ruled him out of the upcoming Australian white-ball series.

Notably, his absence leaves a big void in the team’s balance, as he provides the rare combination of a power-hitter and a medium pacer. To cover for him, the selectors have brought in Nitish Kumar Reddy, who offers similar skills as a fast-bowling all-rounder. Still, replacing Hardik’s experience will not be easy.

Varun Chakravarthy

India's mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy was part of the Champions Trophy squad but didn’t make the cut for the Australian tour. The reason has not been officially revealed, but it is understood that Australian pitches tend to favour pace and bounce over spin, making it difficult for mystery spinners like Varun to thrive. 

With the management already backing spinners such as Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, and Axar Patel, there was simply no room for him in the squad.

Ravindra Jadeja

Notably, Ravindra Jadeja’s exclusion surprised many. With over 200 ODIs to his name, he remains one of India’s most dependable all-rounders. However, the selectors faced a tough call: carrying two left-arm spinners in the same squad for Australia wasn’t considered practical. As a result, Axar Patel was preferred as the lead spin-bowling all-rounder, with Washington Sundar adding variety to the attack.

During the squad announcement, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained the reasoning: 

“Right now, we could only take one left-arm spinner for the Australia series. It wasn’t possible to fit in two. Ravindra Jadeja is absolutely in our plans, everyone knows how good he is and what he offers as an all-rounder and a fielder."

This doesn’t mean Jadeja is out of India’s long-term ODI plans. As selectors explained, it’s more about the conditions and squad balance rather than his ability.