Gill's Surprising Team Call: Three All-Rounders, No Kuldeep!

Perth: Shubman Gill's first major decision as India's full-time ODI captain raised quite a few eyebrows. At the toss for the first ODI against Australia in Perth, he announced a playing XI that left fans and experts stunned. The biggest shock? Star spinner Kuldeep Yadav was left out, despite being in red-hot form.

Instead, India went with three all-rounders—Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy. It's a bold call that shows India are prioritizing batting depth and flexibility over a specialist spinner.

Why No Kuldeep?

This is the question everyone is asking. Kuldeep Yadav has been absolutely brilliant in recent months. He was the highest wicket-taker in the Asia Cup 2025 with 17 wickets in seven matches. In the Test series against West Indies, he grabbed 12 wickets in just two matches. The man is in the form of his life!

Yet, when the team sheet was handed over, his name was missing. At the toss, Gill explained the thinking behind the selection. "We have a great combination. Nitish Reddy makes his debut; we are going with three fast bowlers and three all-rounders," he said.

The decision becomes clearer when you look at the Perth pitch. It's known to be fast and bouncy, helping pace bowlers more than spinners. India opted for three fast bowlers—Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana—and then packed the middle order with all-rounders who can chip in with the ball if needed.

The All-Rounder Strategy

By picking Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, India have given themselves extra batting options. All three can bat in the middle to lower order, which means India effectively have eight or nine batters in the lineup. This gives them cushion in case the top order fails.

Washington Sundar and Axar can also bowl useful spin if needed, while Nitish brings pace-bowling all-round skills. It's a strategy designed to maximize batting depth while not completely giving up on the fifth bowling option.

Nitish Gets His Chance

For 21-year-old Nitish Kumar Reddy, this is a dream come true. The young all-rounder from Andhra Pradesh has already played nine Tests and four T20Is for India, but this is his first ODI appearance. Making his debut in Australia, that too in front of a packed Perth Stadium, is a moment he'll never forget.

Nitish has impressed everyone with his ability to hit big sixes and bowl handy medium pace. In Tests, he showed maturity beyond his years, and now he gets to prove himself in the 50-over format.

Australia's Fresh Faces

India aren't the only team handing out debuts. Australia captain Mitchell Marsh confirmed that Matt Renshaw and Mitchell Owen will be making their ODI debuts as well. With regular players like Pat Cummins, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey, and Cameron Green unavailable due to injuries, Australia have gone with a relatively inexperienced XI.

"We've got some good young players, lots of power, so it's going to be hopefully exciting and entertaining," Marsh said at the toss, before admitting with a laugh that he's "not good at maths" when trying to count the number of batters and bowlers in his team!

The Full Teams

India Playing XI:
Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh

Australia Playing XI:
Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (c), Matthew Short, Josh Philippe (wk), Matt Renshaw, Cooper Connolly, Mitchell Owen, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Ellis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Josh Hazlewood

A Gamble That Could Pay Off

Will India's strategy work? That's the big question. By leaving out Kuldeep, they're betting that the conditions will favor pace over spin and that their batting depth will prove more valuable than a specialist spinner.

If the top and middle order fire and the all-rounders contribute with both bat and ball, Gill will look like a genius. But if the team collapses and Australia's batters dominate, questions will be asked about why India's in-form spinner was sitting on the bench.

For now, all eyes are on how this bold team selection plays out on the Perth pitch!