Former Indian opener, Wasim Jaffer predicted India’s playing XI ahead of the first ODI clash against Australia at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Following the conclusion of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the Men in Blue will engage in a three-match ODI series scheduled to kickstart on Friday, March 17.

Ahead of the opening ODI, former cricketer Wasim Jaffer picked his set of players who could feature against the Aussies in the first ODI. Notably, his playing XI includes five batters, three all-rounders, two pacers, and a lone spinner.

In his tweet, Wasim Jaffer wrote: “My India XI for first ODI: (Shubman) Gill, Ishan (Kishan) [wk], VK (Virat Kohli), Surya (Suryakumar Yadav), KL (Rahul), Hardik (Pandya) [c], (Ravindra) Jadeja, Washi (Washington Sundar), Kuldeep (Yadav), (Mohammed) Shami, (Mohammed) Siraj. What’s yours? #INDvAUS”.

My India XI for first ODI:

Gill
Ishan (WK)
VK
Surya
KL
Hardik (C)
Jadeja
Washi
Kuldeep
Shami
Siraj

What's yours? #INDvAUS

— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) March 16, 2023

For the unversed, regular skipper Rohit Sharma will not available for the first ODI in Mumbai due to family reasons. Owing to his unavailability, Hardik Pandya will shoulder the responsibility of leading the side on Friday. The road to the 2023 ODI World Cup has begun and both cricketing powerhouses will look to make the most of the forthcoming series.

Considering that the mega ODI event is less than 8 months away, the two teams will look to try combinations to decide on a core team just in time for the World Cup. The Men in Blue play Australia at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday, March 17.

After the conclusion of the three-match ODI series, the players from both teams will head to their respective camps for the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The final ODI will be played on Wednesday, March 22 in Chennai, whereas the IPL is set to commence on Friday, March 31. Notably, Hardik Pandya’s Gujarat Titans will kickstart proceedings against MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.