India have made five like-for-like changes to their T20I squad for a three-match series against Sri Lanka beginning from January 3. Hardik Pandya, who had led India in New Zealand right after ICC T20 World Cup last month, will continue to lead the squad in the absence of regular captain Rohit Sharma. Pandya, 29, will be leading India for the first time at home in this series.
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While top-order batters Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rahul Tripathi have replaced wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant and batter Shreyas Iyer in the batting department, all-rounder Axar Patel has been preferred over a specialist spinner in Kuldeep Yadav.
Uttar Pradesh pacer Shivam Mavi and Bengal pacer Mukesh Kumar have received maiden T20I call-ups to replace established names in Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammad Siraj. It remains unknown if the likes of Iyer, Yadav, Kumar and Siraj have been dropped or rested for this series.
Unlike India, Sri Lanka will be playing a T20I for the first time since the World Cup. Severely affected by injuries during the world event in Australia, Sri Lanka have included batters Avishka Fernando and Sadeera Samarawickrama, all-rounder Dunith Wellalage and pacer Nuwan Thushara to their 18-member T20I squad for the first assignment of 2023.
Part of the T20 World Cup squad, batter Danushka Gunathilaka, fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera and spinner Jeffrey Vandersay will all be missing this series. Vandersay, however, is part of an 18-member squad for the subsequent three-match ODI series.
India vs Sri Lanka T20 players list
India – Hardik Pandya (c), Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (vc), Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi, Mukesh Kumar.
Sri Lanka – Dasun Shanaka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga (vc), Ashen Bandara, Maheesh Theekshana, Chamika Karunaratne, Dilshan Madushanka, Kasun Rajitha, Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madushan, Lahiru Kumara, Nuwan Thushara.
