Shubman Gill, Shardul Thakur rested for third IND vs AUS ODI: Reports

Shubman Gill and Shardul Thakur have been rested ahead of the third ODI against Australia to give them much-needed rest ahead of the World Cup, claim media reports

Shubman Gill and Shardul Thakur have been rested for the third and final One Day International (ODI) against Australia to give them much-needed rest ahead of the ODI World Cup 2023. They will head to their respective homes instead of travelling to Rajkot for the third ODI scheduled for 27 September 2023. They will join the team in Guwahati, where India will play their first World Cup warm-up match against England on 30 September 2023.

"The duo will not fly to Rajkot, the venue for the third game, and will instead join the team in Guwahati where India will begin their ODI World Cup journey," read a report by the Indian Express.

Gill, who scored a century in Indore, has now become the highest run-scorer in ODIs this year with 1,230 runs in 20 innings at an average of 72.35 and a strike rate of 105.03. It was his sixth century in ODI cricket and fifth this year, evidence of his excellent form.

Shubman Gill, along with Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav, was instrumental in India reaching 399 runs in the second ODI, which they won by 99 runs on a Duckworth-Lewis-Stern Method (DLS) basis.

Earlier, Jasprit Bumrah, Virat Kohli, skipper Rohit Sharma, and his deputy Hardik Pandya were rested. While Bumrah missed the second ODI after having played in the first, the other three sat out the first two matches and will return for the final game of the series.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had tweeted about resting Bumrah, stating, "He has gone to visit his family and has been given a short break by the team management. Fast bowler Mukesh Kumar has joined the team as Bumrah's replacement for the second ODI. Bumrah will join the team for the final ODI in Rajkot."