Five key Indian players, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Mohammad Shami, Shardul Thakur, and Shubman Gill, have been rested for the final ODI match against Australia in Rajkot on September 27, 2023.
Axar Patel is still recovering from a left quadriceps strain sustained in the Asia Cup, while Pandya, Shami, Thakur, and Gill have been given rest to manage their workload.
India have already won the series 2-0, so the team management has decided to give some of the senior players a break ahead of the upcoming ODI World Cup in India. The rested players will be replaced by Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja, who will all return to the playing XI for the final ODI.