Following weeks of speculation regarding his future in India’s ODI plans, selectors have reaffirmed their confidence in Rohit Sharma, including him in the squad for the upcoming ODI series against England. Yashasvi Jaiswal, a strong contender for the second opening position, will await his opportunity.
Jaiswal was omitted from the ODI squad despite scoring 110 against Afghanistan in the third ODI on Saturday. Although Jaiswal has scored two centuries in his last three ODI matches, his chance to secure a long-term place in the team has not yet materialized. Jaiswal had been included in the Afghanistan squad as a replacement for the injured Virat Kohli.
According to a BCCI source speaking to PTI, “There won’t be too much experimentation at the top against England. Virat is coming back at number 3, and Gill will open with Rohit Sharma. For the backup opener role, the selectors have Ishan Kishan, and he can be used as a floater.”
Virat Kohli Returns, But Contingent on Fitness
Virat Kohli has been selected for the series, but his inclusion is conditional. He missed the Afghanistan series due to a hamstring injury and will undergo a fitness test this week. If he passes the test, he will be included in the final squad. Kohli, who was in Delhi for a promotional event, will report to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru on Monday for his fitness test, according to PTI.
He sustained the hamstring injury during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s pursuit of the IPL title. The injury kept him out of the recent three-match ODI series against Afghanistan. The NCA’s sports science staff had previously visited Kohli in England to assess his recovery.
Jasprit Bumrah Also Back in the Mix
Jasprit Bumrah has also been included in the squad. Experienced all-rounder Axar Patel is another notable returnee, replacing young left-arm spinner Harshal Patel.
Patel will join the India A red-ball squad for their multi-day series against Sri Lanka A.
The PTI source added, “The Indian team management will give Dubey and Axar chances periodically to see who is more suitable for the World Cup. Currently, only Ravindra Jadeja is considered a specialist Test player.”
India will play three ODIs against England at Edgbaston on July 14, Sophia Gardens on July 16, and Lord’s on July 19.
India ODI Squad: Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (Subject to fitness clearance), Shreyas Iyer (Vice-Captain), KL Rahul (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar.
India’s Updated T20I Squad Update
Meanwhile, Varun Chakravarthy is in the final stages of his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) following a left foot injury sustained during TATA IPL 2026. He has been ruled out of the T20I series against Ireland.
India’s updated squad for the Ireland T20Is: Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (Vice-Captain), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Prasidh Krishna.
