India playing 11 from Rohit Sharma's first game as ODI captain - where are they now?

Team India will begin a new chapter as Shubman Gill will lead the side for the first time in ODIs in the upcoming three-match ODI series in Australia. The opening match will be held in Perth on October 19. The 25-year-old will take over the reins from one of the most successful ODI captains, Rohit Sharma, who will play solely as a player Down Under. Gill will look to live up to expectations as Rohit led India to the 2025 Champions Trophy in his last stint as captain in the 50-over format.

In this article, we take a look at Rohit Sharma’s first-ever ODI as captain. Notably, the swashbuckling batter led the Men in Blue for the first time as Virat Kohli was rested for the ODI series in Sri Lanka in 2017. With only three players left from the 2017 batch compared to 2025, the team has seen six notable changes in the playing XI. The retained players are Rohit, Shreyas Iyer, and Kuldeep Yadav. Notably, Hardik Pandya missed out due to an injury, while Jasprit Bumrah has been rested to manage his workload.

---

India playing 11 from Rohit Sharma's first game as ODI captain ft. Shreyas Iyer

Top order: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, and Shreyas Iyer

Rohit Sharma had a horrible start with the bat in his first match as ODI captain. The right-handed batter departed for just two runs off 13 balls. His opening partner, Shikhar Dhawan, also perished for a six-ball duck. Shreyas Iyer followed the pattern and got out for nine runs off 27 deliveries.

Rohit continues to be a part of the ongoing ODI side. The 38-year-old will play a key role as a senior player under Shubman Gill's leadership. On the other hand, Dhawan retired from international cricket and domestic cricket in 2024. The 39-year-old, however, played for India Champions in the 2025 World Championship of Legends earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Iyer has been appointed as vice-captain in ODIs ahead of the upcoming three-match series. The right-handed batter emerged as the leading run-scorer for the Men in Blue in the 2025 Champions Trophy. He amassed 243 runs in five innings, helping India win the trophy for the first time after 2013.

Middle order: Dinesh Karthik, Manish Pandey, MS Dhoni, and Hardik Pandya

Dinesh Karthik and Manish Pandey also looked clueless with the bat, departing for scores of 0 (18) and 2 (15), respectively. MS Dhoni produced a fighting knock under pressure despite wickets falling at regular intervals. The wicketkeeper-batter top-scored with 65 runs off 87 balls with the help of two sixes and 10 fours to help India reach the triple-figure mark. All-rounder Hardik Pandya got out for a run-a-ball 10.

Karthik played his last match for India in 2022 but announced his retirement last year. The wicketkeeper-batter, though, played for the Paarl Royals in 2024/25 SA20 and will play for the Sharjah Warriors in the upcoming season of ILT20.

On the other hand, Manish Pandey has not played for the Men in Blue since 2021. The 36-year-old represented the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2025. Meanwhile, Dhoni retired from international cricket in 2020. The legendary wicketkeeper-batter led the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2025.

All-rounder Hardik Pandya remains the only active player in the middle order. He, however, has been ruled out of the upcoming white-ball series in Australia due to a quadriceps injury. He sustained the injury during the 2025 Asia Cup.

Lower order: Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and Yuzvendra Chahal

Rohit Sharma didn’t bowl spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal as Sri Lanka chased down 113 in 20.4 overs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya bagged one wicket apiece. On the batting front, Kuldeep chipped in with a valuable 19 (25) as India put up 112.

Bhuvneshwar played his last match for India in 2022 but has yet to announce his retirement. The 35-year-old won the IPL 2025 trophy with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) earlier this year. Like Bhuvneshwar, Yuzvendra Chahal is no longer in the reckoning of selectors. The leg-spinner played his last game for India in 2023. He, however, was part of the Indian squad that won the 2024 T20 World Cup. Chahal played for the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in IPL 2025.

Kuldeep Yadav is now the leader of the spin bowling department in ODIs after Ravindra Jadeja failed to find a place in the 15-member India squad for the series in Australia. As mentioned earlier, Bumrah has been rested for the 50-over series ahead of the five T20Is Down Under.

Kuldeep and Bumrah were recently part of the India squad that won the 2025 Asia Cup. Kuldeep, in particular, emerged as the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, bagging 17 wickets in seven innings. The two players are currently involved in a two-match Test series against the West Indies at home.