Predicting India's strongest playing XI for the first ODI vs Australia

India and Australia will clash in the first of the three ODIs, which will be played in Perth on October 19. This series will be the first time the Indian team will play ODIs since their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 win in March this year.

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This series will also mark the return of India veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, while Shubman Gill will make his debut as India ODI captain. There are also some changes in the Indian squad, with Mohammad Shami missing from the Champions Trophy-winning team and Yashasvi Jaiswal being chosen as backup opener.

Keeping this in mind, we take a look at predicted India’s strongest playing XI for the first ODI.

Here is the predicted India's strongest playing XI for the first ODI vs. Australia.

Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill will continue opening for the Indian team. Both have formed a destructive pair at the top that has done extremely well since the 2023 ICC World Cup. Rohit Sharma also has an amazing record against Australia in ODIs, scoring 2,407 runs in 46 ODI innings, including 8 centuries and 9 half-centuries. Notably, he scored his first ODI double century against Australia in 2013.

Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul will be the next in line in the middle order, with Rahul taking the wicketkeeping gloves. Virat Kohli has amassed 2,451 runs in 48 innings, also with 8 centuries and 15 half-centuries to his name. Shreyas Iyer has been named the vice-captain of the Indian ODI team, and KL Rahul will continue to shoulder the middle order.

India might opt for two all-rounders in Nitish Kumar Reddy and Axar Patel in the playing XI, given the need for extending the batting lineup. If coach Gautam Gambhir wants to extend the batting further, they might opt for Washington Sundar as well.

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However, there are chances that Indian management might opt for a proper spinner in Kuldeep Yadav. Australian players have struggled against Kuldeep Yadav, and India doesn’t have a proper spinner except him in the squad.

Coming to the pace options, India might lock in Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh as the primary pacers, with Nitish Kumar Reddy as backup. However, the venue being Perth, with bounce and pace in it, India might opt for either Prasidh Krishna due to his height and ability to get bounce or Harshit Rana, who can tonk a few with the bat and has also played in Australia previously.

Predicted India's strongest playing XI for the first ODI vs Australia:

Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (C), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (VC), KL Rahul (WK), Axar Patel, Nitish Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav/Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna/Harshit Rana.

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