India’s cricket team underwent a leadership shift and witnessed some key player returns as the BCCI selection committee announced the squad for the upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka.
Suryakumar Yadav Takes the T20I Reins
Following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from T20Is after India’s World Cup victory last month, the exciting batsman Suryakumar Yadav has been named the new captain of the shortest format. The 33-year-old has been in blazing form, amassing over 2300 runs with four centuries and 19 fifties in T20Is. Notably, he has experience leading the team as well, having captained India in seven T20Is previously.
Shubman Gill, who impressed everyone with his leadership during India’s recent T20I series win over Zimbabwe, has been rewarded with the vice-captaincy role for both the T20I and ODI squads for the Sri Lanka series. This decision comes as a surprise considering Hardik Pandya was seen as the frontrunner for the leadership role after his successful stint as Rohit Sharma’s deputy in World Cups. Reports suggest that workload management and fitness concerns might have influenced the selection committee’s decision.
This series will also see the return of two experienced batsmen – KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer. Rahul, who missed out on World Cup selection due to injury, had a strong IPL 2024 season with the Lucknow Super Giants, scoring over 520 runs. Meanwhile, IPL 2024 winning captain Shreyas Iyer, who has been out of favour for a while, gets another chance to prove himself in the ODI format.
Bumrah Rested, Mukesh Dropped
Jasprit Bumrah, the spearhead of India’s pace attack, has been rested to manage his workload, while Mukesh Kumar, who shone in the Zimbabwe series, has been left out in favour of Mohammed Siraj. Harshit Rana, who has been on the fringes of selection, earns his place in the ODI squad. Notably, Yuzvendra Chahal, who was part of the T20 World Cup squad but did not play, has not been included, with the BCCI not providing a reason for his exclusion.
The ODI series against Sri Lanka holds significance as India prepares to defend their Champions Trophy title next year. With only six ODIs scheduled before the tournament, including a three-match series against England in January 2025, this series provides a crucial platform for the team to solidify their combinations.
India T20I squad for Sri Lanka tour: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Ꮪhubman Gill (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohd. Siraj.
India ODI squad for Sri Lanka tour: Rohit Sharma (C), Ꮪhubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana.
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