Bengaluru, October 20: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday (October 20) announced the 12-member team to face the West Indies in the first ODI at Guwahati on Sunday (October 21). And Rishabh Pant is in line to make his ODI debut for India after a brilliant Test series against the West Indies during the last fortnight.
Virat Kohli will return to lead India after getting rested for the recently concluded Asia Cup 2018. Senior Indian openers Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma are also included in the 12.
Announcement: #TeamIndia announce the 12 for the 1st ODI in Guwahati against West Indies #INDvWI pic.twitter.com/j32SXgSFTT
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 20, 2018
Ambati Rayudu has retained his spot in the team and he is expected to bat at number four. Pant is expected to play at number five as a specialist batsman as former Indian skipper MS Dhoni is likely to keep wickets and will bat at number 6 as the Jharkhand man continues to be the first choice stumper in the run-up to the ICC World Cup 2019 in England.
In the 12-member squad, BCCI has named three spinners (Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal) and three pacers Umesh Yadav, Mohammad Shami and Khaleel Ahmed. And it this stage it looks that Kohli will play three spinners and two pacers in Umesh and Shami.
Indian squad for 1st ODI (From): Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (capt), Ambati Rayudu, Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Umesh Yadav, Mohammad Shami, Khaleel Ahmed.