The Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) announced India's squad for their upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), which starts on November 22. Rohit Sharma & Co. will eye a third-straight win against Australia away from home, in the upcoming five-match Test series.
A few surprise picks have been made by the BCCI for the BGT, who have handed maiden Test call-ups to several players.
The biggest surprise is the absense of Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel while KL Rahul keeps his place despite recent criticism.
The Men in Blue are currently hosting New Zealand in the second of the three-match Test series. With a shocking defeat in Bengaluru, and a potential series-loss in Pune awaiting, the upcoming BGT has become important, now more than ever.
India, who eye their third-straight World Test Championship (WTC) final appearance in June 2025, are placed at the top of the current WTC rankings (68.06 PCT). A series-win Down Under could help them bridge the gap, away from the rest of the teams at the top of the table. Australia are placed second with 62.50 PCT.
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Complete India squad for BGT 2024/25 against Australia
On Friday, October 25, the BCCI announced an 18-man squad for the five-match Test series against Australia. They have also announced three travelling reserves, over and above the main squad.
The likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill have become mainstays in Indian top-order, alongside Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
A surprise pick to make up the top, is that of Abhimanyu Easwaran. He has been picked as a cover for Rohit, who could miss one of the first or second Test due to personal reasons.
MORE: Shreyas Iyer eyes Test comeback, talks about upcoming BGT 2024-25
KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Sarfaraz Khan would constitute the middle-order, with Dhruv Jurel selected as wicket-keeping deputy to Pant. Meanwhile, experienced Shreyas Iyer has failed to make it to the 18-man squad, despite recent exploits in the domestic circuit.
Ravi Ashwin, Ravi Jadeja, and Washington Sundar make up the spin-bowling trio that would take the flight Down Under.
Which fast-bowlers have India picked for Australia tour? Is Mohammed Shami fit?
The pace-bowling unit, headed by vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah, has been given some extra depth. India have named a total of five specialist pacers, alongside one pace all-rounder.
Mohammad Siraj, Akash Deep, and Prasidh Krishna make up for the Indian pacers alongside Bumrah. Maiden Test call-ups have been handed over to pacer Harshit Rana and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who have rose up in prominence recently.
More importantly, Mohammed Shami has been ruled unfit for the tour, given that he is yet to recuperate fully from his injury after the 2023 ODI World Cup.
India squad for Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25:
- Rohit Sharma (C)
- Jasprit Bumrah (VC)
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Abhimanyu Easwaran
- Shubman Gill
- Virat Kohli
- KL Rahul
- Rishabh Pant (wk)
- Sarfaraz Khan
- Dhruv Jurel
- Ravi Ashwin
- Ravi Jadeja
- Mohammad Siraj
- Akash Deep
- Prasidh Krishna
- Harshit Rana
- Nishit Kumar Reddy
- Washington Sundar
Who are India's travelling reserves for the BGT 2024/25?
The BCCI have also announced three travelling reserves for the five-match Test series against Australia. They are provided for injury concerns, and will travel with the first team throughout the series.
- Mukesh Kumar
- Navdeep Saini
- Khaleel Ahmed
Full schedule for the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25
| Test | Date | Time (IST) | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Test | November 22 - November 26, 2024 | 08:00 AM | Perth |
| 2nd Test | December 06 - December 10, 2024 | 09:30 AM | Adelaide |
| 3rd Test | December 14 - December 18, 2024 | 05:30 AM | Brisbane |
| 4th Test | December 26 - December 30, 2024 | 05:30 AM | Melbourne |
| 5th Test | January 03 - January 07, 2025 | 05:30 AM | Sydney |
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