Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara named his current ODI World XI, drawing immediate attention for the prominent names he chose to leave out. India's T20I captain Shreyas Iyer, a middle-order regular for India in ODIs, and England's white-ball captain Harry Brook were the notable omissions.
Brook's omission is particularly notable. The England white-ball captain had recently recorded the fastest double century in ODI history, yet Pujara did not find a place for him in his side. Shreyas Iyer, who currently leads India in T20 Internationals, was similarly passed over. Iyer, a consistent presence in India's ODI middle order, was a significant absentee, with his exclusion standing out given the role he has played in the Indian batting line-up.
Pujara's selection draws players from five nations: India, England, South Africa, New Zealand and the West Indies. Rohit Sharma was named captain of the side. Young Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was not considered, and no Pakistani cricketer featured in the eleven.
Who did Pujara pick in his ODI World XI?
Speaking in a video for Cricinfo, Pujara settled on Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma as his opening pair, with Virat Kohli coming in at No. 3 and England's Joe Root positioned at No. 4. Wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul was placed at No. 5, while West Indies batter Shai Hope was slotted in at No. 6. South African all-rounder Marco Jansen rounded out the batting and provided all-round depth in the lower order.
For the bowling attack, Pujara turned to India's left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav alongside pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. New Zealand seamer Matt Henry and West Indies quick Jayden Seales were the other two bowlers named, giving the attack an international spread across four countries.
Pujara's full current ODI World XI
Pujara's picks arrive ahead of the India-New Zealand ODI series, in which the two sides are set to compete across five matches. The timing gives the selection added relevance, with discussions around India's middle-order composition and the continued absence of Iyer from such considerations likely to generate debate as the series draws closer.
The eleven contains no specialist finisher below No. 6, with Jansen serving as the primary lower-order contributor with both bat and ball. The selection reflects Pujara's preference for proven quality across formats rather than specific profiles, with the timing of the announcement adding relevance as the India-New Zealand series approaches.
Cheteshwar Pujara's current ODI World XI:
Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma (captain), Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Shai Hope, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Marco Jansen, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Matt Henry, Jayden Seales.
