India are set to begin their three-match ODI series against the West Indies in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, with the contest followed by a five-match T20I series. Ahead of the opening game, former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Subramaniam Badrinath has shared his preferred India playing XI, offering a clear indication of the combination he would like to see take the field.

Badrinath revealed his selection through his Instagram handle, with his XI featuring several established names alongside a few players looking to strengthen their claims in the 50-over format. However, his choices also meant leaving out some players who have recently produced notable performances.

Subramaniam Badrinath backs Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill to open

Badrinath opted for a familiar combination at the top of the order, selecting captain Shubman Gill alongside Rohit Sharma. Virat Kohli was picked to follow at No.3, giving India a top three featuring considerable experience and a strong record in international cricket.

The first notable selection call came at No.4, where Badrinath preferred Ruturaj Gaikwad. His choice came at the expense of Dhruv Jurel and Naman Dhir, both of whom have reasons to be considered for a place in the XI.

Naman enters the series after an outstanding campaign in the Sher-E-Punjab T20 League, where he finished as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 655 runs at a strike rate of nearly 218. Jurel, meanwhile, recently produced a significant performance for India, scoring an unbeaten 115 in his last appearance during the second Test against Sri Lanka last month.

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KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav make the cut

Badrinath selected KL Rahul at No.5, bringing another experienced batter into the middle order. He then chose Nitish Kumar Reddy and Ravindra Jadeja as the two all-rounders at No.6 and No.7 respectively. The selection of Jadeja provides the lineup with an experienced left-handed batter as well as an established spin-bowling option. Kuldeep Yadav was then picked at No.8, completing the spin resources in the proposed combination.

Badrinath’s XI subsequently features three specialist fast bowlers. Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj and Gurnoor Brar were chosen to form the pace attack, leaving India with a relatively long tail.

Subramaniam Badrinath’s India XI for first ODI: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj and Gurnoor Brar

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