India’s White-Ball Squads for Australia Tour: Pandya and Pant Ruled Out Due to Injury

The BCCI selection committee, under the leadership of Ajit Agarkar, is gearing up to announce India’s white-ball squads for the upcoming Australia tour. The ODI and T20I line-ups are of significant interest. While Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are set to return, the exclusion of Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant due to injuries is a major talking point. This tour presents a crucial challenge for Ajit Agarkar. The selection committee must carefully consider experience, current form, and player fitness, especially given the recovery status of key players. Hardik Pandya’s absence is a significant setback. He suffered a quadriceps injury during the Asia Cup 2025 and hasn’t fully recovered. Pandya’s role has grown in India’s white-ball setup, serving as a power-hitter, finisher, and a reliable bowler. His absence will create opportunities for players like Shivam Dube or Nitish Kumar Reddy. There’s a possibility Pandya could return for the T20I series. Rishabh Pant is also unavailable, nursing a toe fracture. Selectors are unlikely to rush him back. He is expected to make his international comeback during the South Africa tour in November. Until then, KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, and Jitesh Sharma are likely to rotate as wicketkeepers. The return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli poses selection dilemmas. The committee will need to decide how to balance the team without Pandya and Pant. The announcement of the squad will provide a glimpse into the future roadmap of Indian white-ball cricket.