India vs Australia: KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah included in Virat Kohli-led squads for limited-overs assignments

Virat Kohli will be leading the 15-member squad for the five-match ODI and two-match T20I series against Australia. The Indian captain was rested for the last two ODIs and the whole of T20I series against New Zealand. [caption id=“attachment_5265811” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of India’s KL Rahul. Twitter: @BCCI[/caption] The other major inclusion in two squads is KL Rahul who was dropped from the setup after he was suspended by the BCCI for making sexist comments on Koffee With Karan. The series gives him a good chance to guarantee a place in the World Cup squad. Jasprit Bumrah is also back with the team which has made the bowling unit stronger. Bumrah was not part of either of the squads that played in New Zealand. Vice-captain Rohit Sharma, who had led in Kohli’s absence in the remainder of the New Zealand tour, has been retained in the squad. The Mumbai Indians skipper was expected to be given a rest for the series if reports earlier in the day were to be believed. Umesh Yadav, who had been benched for the entirety of the Test series in Australia, has been picked in the squad for the two T20Is after a series of consistent performances for Vidarbha in the Ranji Trophy. The committee headed by MSK Prasad also announced the T20I squad for the two-match series, in which rookie Punjab leg-spinner Mayank Markande made the cut and Kuldeep Yadav was rested. “…as a back-up spinner we are looking at him (Markande). So we have been grooming him through the India A process and he has taken a five-wicket haul (against England Lions on Friday),” Prasad said after the selection meeting. Punjab seamer Siddarth Kaul seems to have joined the race for the fourth pacer’s slot at the business end of the preparation cycle. “Siddarth Kaul is doing well and is now a part of the mix,” Prasad said. Vijay Shankar’s decent run with the bat in New Zealand and his wicket-to-wicket seam up bowling makes him the back-up all-rounder in English conditions. In fact Prasad admitted that Shankar’s “recent performances” have “changed the dynamics of the squad”.   The series is a litmus test for many like Rahul and Vijay Shankar, who would look to cement their places in the World Cup squad. India will play two T20 Internationals and five ODIs, starting 24 February, in what will be their last international assignment before the World Cup, which begins in England on 30 May. T20I squad: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Krunal Pandya, Vijay Shankar, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Siddarth Kaul, Mayank Markande. Squad for 1st two ODIs: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jedhav, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Vijay Shankar, Rishabh Pant, Siddarth Kaul. Squad for last three ODIs: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jedhav, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Vijay Shankar, Rishabh Pant, Bhuvneshwar Kumar. With inputs from PTI