Some major players have been left out of the ODI squad against Australia

In October 2025, India will travel to Australia for an ODI series, followed by a Test series. India’s 15-man squad was released by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which includes Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel, and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Following the squad announcement, fans were definitely not happy to see Shubman Gill receiving the captain’s cap over Rohit Sharma. There have been questions about the snubbing of a few other players. Given that the selectors come with years of team management expertise and experience, we are in a position to question their decision.

However, we asked AI for an alternative ODI squad, given that AI predictions and analysis have now become a trend in the world of sports.

AI’s team

The team selected by AI includes Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (C), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (VC), KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja (alt pick), Shardul Thakur (alt pick), Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, and Harshit Rana (or Arshdeep if left-arm angle preferred).

Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur have been chosen by ChatGPT in place of Washington Sundar and Prasidh Krishna.

Reason by AI

The reason AI has mentioned for choosing Jadeja states, “Selectors argue two left-arm spinners are overkill, but Jadeja isn’t just an L-arm spinner—he’s an elite point fielder and proven No. 7 in pressure chases. On big Aussie grounds, his ground fielding and dart lengths can squeeze run rate, and his batting lengthens the card more reliably than Washington at this stage. Agarkar acknowledged Jadeja’s quality, and that omission is conditions-based; I’d still carry him for a three-game away swing.”

Moving on to Shardul over Prasidh, as per AI, Shardul can be a hitter at No. 8 and can break stands with his cutters and knuckleballs. Shardul’s striking power in ODI often does the job of a bombastic finisher who adds an extra 20-30 runs that could make the point of difference between victory and defeat.

AI supports Gill’s captaincy

When the BCCI announced the squad, the biggest upset was Shubman Gill being given the captaincy band instead of Rohit Sharma. However, much like the selectors, ChatGPT also believes Gill should be the captain.

ChatGPT said, “The selectors’ logic is coherent: ODIs are sparse till 2027, and they want continuity under one white-ball leader, with Rohit and Virat focusing on runs/mentorship. That said, criticism from former players that the change feels abrupt is understandable, given Rohit’s recent ICC success; the debate is real. On balance, I back Gill’s appointment now so he accrues away-series reps, with Rohit’s on-field presence cushioning the transition.”

Overall, ChatGPT believes that the two changes it made make the team a better version. Shardul Thakur would bring more runs to the table in death overs, whereas Ravindra Jadeja would’ve turned the tables with his impeccable fielding.