Team India have announced their ODI squad for the three-match series against England in Pune, beginning March 23. The hosts seem determined to address their middle-order issues with the inclusion of in-form players like Suryakumar Yadav and Krunal Pandya, who received their maiden ODI call-ups.
Karnataka pacer Prasidh Krishna has also been included in India's ODI squad for the first time on the back of a brilliant domestic season. Mohammed Siraj got the nod in the absence of experienced pacers like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami.
After making his comeback into the T20I squad, Rishabh Pant has also managed to make it to the ODI team. The 23-year-old has had an unbelievable couple of months and is probably in the form of his life. Rohit Sharma, who has also returned to the ODI squad, has been named vice-captain.
Fans are absolutely buzzing after seeing the changes in Team India's ODI squad. They took to Twitter to express their opinion on the new additions. Here's what they had to say:
Team India received a hammering at the hands of Australia in the first two ODIs last year. As a result, a few changes were expected in the ODI squad. The Men in Blue's middle-order inconsistency and finding batsmen who could bowl were topics of hot debate.
In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, Team India's pace bowling attack will also be one of the major talking points. It remains to be seen whether Krishna will play as the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shardul Thakur, and Hardik Pandya could be the three seamers for the hosts.
Shreyas Iyer's stunning innings in the first T20I might just keep Suryakumar Yadav out of the playing XI in the ODI series. But the 30-year-old has earned his stripes by scoring heavily in domestic cricket year after year. After a sensational T20I debut outing with the bat for Team India, he will be hopeful of contributing in the 50-over format as well.
The sixth bowling option is something Team India have craved in ODI cricket, and Krunal Pandya just seems to be the player they were looking for. The all-rounder's stunning form in the 2021 Vijay Hazare Trophy has proved he can be included as a batsman.
Although the T20 World Cup is just around the corner, skipper Virat Kohli will also have an eye on the 50-over World Cup at home in two years' time. It will be interesting to see India's playing XI for the first ODI against England.