Irfan Pathan picks India playing 11 for AUS vs IND 2025 1st T20I; includes Harshit Rana over Kuldeep Yadav

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan named his preferred playing XI for the upcoming first T20I against Australia, scheduled for Wednesday, October 29, at the Manuka Oval in Canberra. The combination includes two all-rounders, three frontline pacers, and one specialist spinner, with no major surprise in the batting department.

Irfan Pathan named the same top six that primarily featured in the Asia Cup, including the all-rounders in the form of Axar Patel and Shivam Dube. With Hardik Pandya out injured, and Australian conditions demanding fast bowling, the former player included all three frontline pacers present in the squad, namely Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, and Jasprit Bumrah.

"Harshit Rana's cameo in the second ODI would have given the Indian team management a lot of confidence. So if he plays at No.8, India have their order till No.7 sorted, with two all-rounders in Dube and Axar, who can give you at least 6 overs. Then you can also play 2 pacers in Arshdeep and Jasprit, but who will that ne frontline spinner be?

With only one slot remaining, and two frontline spinners in contention, Irfan Pathan preferred Varun Chakaravarthy over Kuldeep Yadav.

"I'm thinking towards Chakaravarthy because he can bowl a couple of overs in the powerplay as well, if needed. India also need that bit of a mystery factor in their playing XI. But if the team management goes for Kuldeep, then it is also not a big problem," he said on his YouTube channel.

Irfan Pathan's playing XI for AUS vs IND 2025 1st T20I

Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy

Irfan Pathan backs Team India to win T20I series against Australia

The former player feels that the in-form Men in Blue have a strong chance of recording a historic series win in Australia to make a strong statement during the build-up to the 2026 T20 World Cup. He feels that the Indian setup, which looks more dominant on paper than the hosts, can come away as winners by a stellar 4-1 margin in the coming weeks.

The Men in Blue have a dominant record in Australia when it comes to T20I bilateral affairs. They have registered series wins on two occasions (2016 and 2020), drawn series twice (2012 and 2018), while losing only four out of 12 matches.