India on Sunday announced that the national selectors have called up all-rounder Vijay Shankar and batsman Shubman Gill to replace the suspended Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul in the One-Day International squad in Australia.
Pandya and Rahul are set to return to India after the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s Committee of Administrators decided to suspend them pending further inquiry, following their controversial comments on talk show Koffee With Karan.
Vijay Shankar will join the squad before the start of the second ODI against Australia in Adelaide on Tuesday. The 27-year-old will be a part of the squad for the ODI series in Australia and the tour of New Zealand, where India will play five one-dayers and three T20 Internationals.
Shubman Gill, however, will only join the Indian squad after the ODI series against Australia.
Pandya had bragged about his success with women and made other sexual remarks during the talk show broadcast last week just as India were celebrating their historic first Test series win in Australia.
Rahul was also on the programme and watched his teammate’s antics, which sparked outrage on social media and condemnation from skipper Virat Kohli, who made clear the comments did not reflect the culture within the squad.
Both players, who have apologised, have been suspended “from playing any form of cricket” pending an inquiry for misconduct and indiscipline.
With Pandya and Rahul missing, India crashed to a 34-run defeat in Sydney on Saturday despite a explosive century from Rohit Sharma.
The next game in the three-match series is a day-night contest in Adelaide on Tuesday.
With inputs from AFP