The BCCI announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against the West Indies, starting September 27, as the blockbuster home season kicks off for the Indian team. Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Follow the Blues’, JioStar experts Parthiv Patel and Aakash Chopra discussed the changes to the ODI squad, expectations from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli ahead of the series, and Ravindra Jadeja’s return to the 50-over side.
Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Follow the Blues’, JioStar expert Parthiv Patel shared his thoughts on Team India’s squad for the ODI series against the West Indies:
“With the available players, you try and make the most of what you have. The biggest change you notice is that KL Rahul has been made vice-captain in place of Shreyas Iyer, because Shreyas Iyer will be at the Asian Games. There was certainly a question mark over Rishabh Pant, but I also liked Dhruv Jurel’s selection. So, considering all of that, a very good team has been picked, and full marks to the Indian team selectors.”
Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Follow the Blues’, JioStar expert Aakash Chopra weighed in on the expectations from Indian team stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli ahead of the West Indies series:
“The World Cup is just one year away now, and I know that if Rohit and Kohli get in, they’ll score runs, win you matches, and possibly win you trophies. So, looking at it from this perspective, the only expectation from Rohit and Kohli is just this, keep scoring runs.”
On the all-rounder’s spot and Ravindra Jadeja’s return:
“One big highlight, in my opinion, was pulling Nitish Kumar Reddy out of the Asian Games and playing him here. So, if Hardik Pandya isn’t available someday, they really want somebody who can bowl pace and bat as well. Ravindra Jadeja will have to, of course, take wickets and score runs. Fielding has always been his strong suit. But from a World Cup point of view, you have Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, and Washington Sundar, and not all of them will go to South Africa. So, someone will be left out, and therefore, every time you get an opportunity, you have to grab it with both hands.”
On Rishabh Pant:
“Rishabh Pant is a very strange and very unique case. While he is playing Test cricket and is a very important member of the red-ball side, he was stripped of his vice-captaincy duties there as well. But in ODI cricket, without playing, he’s been bid goodbye. At the same time, he has been made the captain of the Rest of India (ROI), which also tells you that, with respect to red-ball cricket, they are very serious about Rishabh playing a huge role in the longer format. But for white-ball cricket, as of now, I think this selection committee has made up its mind.”
On the bench strength with an eye on the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027:
“You have to think about who you can take along as reserves for the World Cup. So, there will be a toss-up here between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad, who are both part of this team, and whenever they’ve played, they’ve scored a lot of runs. So, I’m looking at an opportunity opening up for one of these two. Auqib Nabi has been travelling with the team for some time now, but isn’t getting a chance to play in the XI. If he gets his opportunity, I’ll be quite excited to see him perform.”
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