India ODI and T20I squads for Australia series to be picked on February 15

India vs Australia: Virat Kohli will come back while Rohit Sharma is set to be rested for some part of the series. There is a possibility that selectors may pick 16 members for the ODIs instead of 15 in order to check all the players in contention for the World Cup.

Workload management of the regulars and filling up the odd spot or two available to complete India’s World Cup 15 would be the primary focus areas when the national selectors sit on February 15 to pick India’s limited overs squad for the home series against Australia.  

Such has been India’s dominance in the past 12 months in limited overs cricket that it was possible for the selectors to even consider the idea of resting a few of the regulars for some part of the series and rotate the others to give reserves a fair opportunity against a touring Australian side. This five-match ODI series being the last one before World Cup, the Indian think tank wants to make full use of it.

However, this doesn’t mean, there will be too many changes in the squad.   

It has been learnt that the team management, as well as the selection committee, are on the same page and the squad that will play against Australia is likely to be a mirror-image of the one that will be travelling to UK for the World Cup.

There is a possibility that selectors may pick 16 members for the ODIs instead of 15 in order to check all the players in contention for the World Cup.

"There is a possibility that Rohit Sharma may be rested for the two T20 Internationals as Virat Kohli will be back. But when it comes to selecting the ODI squad, there won't be any experiments with only five matches to go," a senior BCCI official privy to selection process told PTI.

Asked about the much talked about workload management programme, the official said: "Most of our ODI boys will be getting good two and half weeks of rest. Well, the pacers can be rotated during the five matches but no one will be kept out of the squad and rested. Workload management will be required more during the IPL.

"As of now, there are only two spots that are up for grabs. The battle is for second wicket-keeper between Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant along with third opener's slot. The team management at least won't experiment during the first three games," he informed.

There is a school of thought that Shikhar Dhawan may be rested for the final two ODIs and just check if KL Rahul has found his form back in order to keep him ready for the mega event.

"However, it won't be a case of any surprise selection as of now. It will just be a case of who plays on the day. Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar and Shami are all fit and available.  Along with Khaleel, these four will be rotated to check the combination, more than the workload management," the official said.  

India are slated to play two T20Is in Visakhapatnam (February 24) and Bengaluru (February 27) followed by a five-match ODI series starting on March 2 at Hyderabad.