Australia's fast bowler Mitchell Starc has made a comeback to the national ODI squad for the three-match home series against India, which commences on October 19. In the absence of Pat Cummins, who is still currently mending from lumbar bone stress before the Ashes, Mitchell Marsh will retain the captaincy of the side.

Starc, who recently retired from T20Is a month ago, missed the home ODI series against South Africa in August as part of managing his workload after the Test series against West Indies. Starc's last ODI was played in November 2024 against Pakistan in Adelaide.

Starc is one of four additions to Australia's ODI squad from the 2-1 defeat to South Africa, and he will join Matthew Renshaw, Matt Short, and Mitch Owen. Short returns to the squad after recovering from a side strain, while Owen comes back after sustaining a concussion during the T20I series against South Africa.

As Cummins continues his recovery, Marsh will now be in charge of both the ODI and T20I teams to begin the T20I series. The selectors have also announced a 14-man team for the first two T20Is, as Australia continues its preparations for the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Alex Carey will miss the first ODI in Perth, representing South Australia against Queensland in the Sheffield Shield, and Josh Inglis is expected to keep wickets. Inglis has also returned to the T20I squad after recovering from an injury to his calf. Nathan Ellis is also back in the squad after the birth of his first child, while Glenn Maxwell is still recovering from a wrist fracture suffered during the New Zealand tour.

After the ODI leg, all-rounder Cameron Green will join Western Australia for red-ball preparation. Chair of selectors George Bailey explained that the squads were selected with player management in mind. “We’ve named squads for the ODI series and the first two T20Is to allow flexibility as players prepare for both the summer and next year’s World Cup,” Bailey said. “We’re balancing white-ball preparation with red-ball readiness for the Test season.”

The ODI series will be played in Perth (Oct 19), Adelaide (Oct 23), and Sydney (Oct 25). The five-match T20I series will follow in Canberra (Oct 29), Melbourne (Oct 31), Hobart (Nov 2), Gold Coast (Nov 6), and Brisbane (Nov 8).

Australian ODI Squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Renshaw, Matthew Short, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa.

Australian T20 Squad (first two games): Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.
(With PTI Inputs)