India go into the three-match ODI series in England hoping to recover from a poor T20I campaign and to refine combinations before the 2027 ODI World Cup. Former assistant coach Abhishek Nayar has set out the side he would pick for the opener.
Top order and middle order
Speaking on JioStar, Nayar said there is no argument about Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli opening up the batting, and he wants Shreyas Iyer at No. 4, calling the vice-captain indispensable. He thinks KL Rahul and Axar Patel can be used flexibly according to the situation, with Shivam Dube adding balance as a seam-bowling all-rounder.
Bumrah changes the attack
Nayar sees Jasprit Bumrah’s return as a huge boost, describing him as a bowler who alters the character of an innings. By holding one end, he argued, Bumrah frees the other bowlers to attack, and his experience of English conditions and wicket-taking skill will matter against a strong England batting line-up.
He also stressed the importance of the new-ball pairing of Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, who he believes can keep Joe Root and the rest of the top order under pressure.
Brar the X-factor
Among the younger options, Nayar picked out Gurnoor Brar. He praised the pacer for regularly bowling above 140 km/h, getting extra bounce and contributing with the bat.
Nayar’s XI
Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Gurnoor Brar and Arshdeep Singh.
