After suffering 4-0 clean sweep in T20Is against England and 2-0 sweep against Ireland, team India began their three-match ODI series with a bold team selection on Tuesday. For the 1st ODI, team India skipper Shubman Gill preferred batting depth, leaving out spinner Kuldeep Yadav and pacer Arshdeep Singh from the playing XI.
England captain Harry Brook won the toss at Edgbaston in Birmingham and elected to bat first on a surface offering moisture and a healthy covering of grass. The match is being played as a day game, starting at 11 am local time.
Despite conditions that appeared favourable for bowlers, India decided to strengthen their batting by including three all-rounders — Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel. The decision meant Kuldeep Yadav once again missed out, while Gurnoor Brar retained his place alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna in the pace attack.
The move comes after India’s disappointing T20I tour of England and Ireland, where the visitors failed to register a single victory. The ODI series offers Gill’s side an opportunity to regroup ahead of a busy international calendar.
India’s batting unit features experienced campaigners Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli alongside captain Gill, vice-captain Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube.
Kuldeep Yadav’s omission is likely to attract attention, with the left-arm wrist-spinner continuing to move in and out of India’s white-ball squads. Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar had recently backed Kuldeep to receive an extended run in the ODI setup, especially with the 2027 ODI World Cup on the horizon.
Ahead of the series, captain Shubman Gill dismissed speculation over the ODI futures of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, describing both senior batters as integral to India’s plans.
Gill said Rohit and Kohli have been the backbone of India’s batting for more than a decade, adding that their experience and consistency remain invaluable for the team as it builds towards the next 50-over World Cup.
India playing XI
Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Washington Sundar, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Gurnoor Brar, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna.
England playing XI
Jacob Bethell, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook (captain), Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jofra Archer, Liam Dawson, Josh Tongue, Adil Rashid.