The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday, announced the T20I and ODI squads for the home series against Sri Lanka starting January 3, 2023.
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Having not yet fully recovered from his thumb injury, all-format skipper Rohit Sharma will not take part in the T20I series, but will lead the side during the three ODIs that will follow soon after.
In Rohit’s absence, allrounder Hardik Pandya has not only been appointed as India’s skipper for the three-match T20I series, but also the new vice-captain of the ODI team.
Along with Rohit, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul will miss the T20Is as well. While Kohli has been rested, Rahul is reportedly set to get married during that time frame. The duo will join the squad during the ODI leg as well.
While Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan are the wicket-keeping options in the T20I series, Kishan and KL Rahul are the designated ones for the role for the ODIs.
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As per Sports Tak, Rishabh Pant will be involved in a knee strength training programme, and hence will not be a part of the entire series.
In the bowling department, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been dropped from the series altogether, Shivam Mavi and Mukesh Kumar are the notable inclusions in the T20I squad. Mohammed Shami will lead the pace attack during the ODIs, with Jasprit Bumrah yet to regain his full fitness.
Shikhar Dhawan dropped
With the ODI World Cup set to take place the next year, India’s long-time designated opener in the format – Shikhar Dhawan, has been dropped from the ODI squad set to face Sri Lanka.
The 37-year-old’s form and strike rate has been a constant talking point of-late, especially with the likes of Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan delivering with the bat at the opening slot in the limited opportunities they have got in the recent past.
Across the 22 innings that he has played this year, Dhawan has scored 688 runs at an average of 34.40, with the help of 6 half-centuries. However, it is his strike rate of 74.21 which perhaps has not impressed the selectors.
Also, the Southpaw batter has failed to score an ODI century since team India’s 2019 World Cup opening match against Australia.
India squad for Sri Lanka T20 series 2022
Hardik Pandya (c), Suryakumar Yadav (vc), Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi, Mukesh Kumar.
India ODI squad for Sri Lanka series 2022
Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Mohammed Shami, Mohammad Siraj, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh.
