Mitchell Owen to debut as Australia name playing XI for 1st T20I vs West Indies-OxBig News Network

Mitchell Owen is set to make his international debut as Australia confirmed their playing XI for the opening T20I against the West Indies on Sunday, July 20 (Monday, July 21 in India) at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica.

Owen, who impressed with the Hobart Hurricanes in the 2024–25 Big Bash League and also featured for the Punjab Kings in IPL 2025, will bat in the middle order for Australia. He scored 452 runs in 11 BBL matches at an average of 45.20 and a blistering strike rate of 203.60. Across 48 T20 matches in his career so far, Owen has amassed 960 runs at an average of 25.26 and a strike rate of 186.40, including two centuries and two fifties.

Jake Fraser-McGurk will open the batting in place of the injured Matt Short, who has been sidelined with a side strain. Fraser-McGurk was added to the squad after Spencer Johnson was ruled out due to back soreness.

Tim David, recovering from a hamstring injury sustained while playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL, has been rested for the match.

Several senior players – Alex Carey, Travis Head, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood – who were part of Australia’s recent 3–0 Test series win, are not part of the T20I squad. The team is expected to use this series to give opportunities to fringe players with an eye on the T20 World Cup next year.

“First and foremost, it’s always ‘we’re representing Australia, we’re here to win the series’ and culturally, that’s how we want to go about it,” skipper Mitchell Marsh said.

“There will be guys that get opportunities. We’ve obviously got a few guys missing for this series (for) a well-earned rest,” Marsh added.

Australia playing XI for 1st T20I vs West Indies

Mitchell Marsh (c), Jake Fraser-McGurk, Josh Inglis (wk), Cameron Green, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Owen, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa

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