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Expectations are high for India’s visit of Sri Lanka, which may have otherwise been rather low-key given that Gautam Gambhir is starting his tenure as head coach and that India is starting a new chapter in white-ball cricket after winning the T20 World Cup. The composition of India’s ODI team in the lead-up to the Champions Trophy next year, as well as the T20I squad in the wake of the three major retirements after the World Cup victory, will be closely monitored.
SKY’s latest challenge
Suryakumar Yadav’s first stint as captain in 2015 ended controversially when he resigned from his position as captain of his home club. This came about when the Mumbai Cricket Association chastised him for using foul language in the dressing room and on the pitch, according to accusations from fellow players. After almost ten years, Suryakumar has become into a much more reserved person, and it feels like the perfect time for him to be named India’s T20I captain.
Suryakumar is expected to assume full responsibility within three years of making his international debut. The team management plans to give him two years to prepare for India’s 2026 home and away T20 championship defence.
Since Rohit Sharma was rested and Hardik Pandya was sidelined due to injury late last year, Suryakumar has captained India seven times in an acting capacity. Soon after the ODI World Cup in November of last year, India defeated Australia 4-1 in a series, with Suryakumar finishing as the second-highest run scorer. Later, in South Africa, he guided the T20I team to a 1-1 result.
Thus, even though the sample size is modest, the results seem encouraging. Suryakumar will be leading Hardik, who captained him at the Mumbai Indians and was formerly thought to be India’s T20I captain-in-waiting, thus he may need to ride off any potential undercurrents caused by his selection.
India’s finishing job- any takers?
Shubman Gill, who serves as vice captain for both white-ball teams, and Yashasvi Jaiswal are likely to replace the recently retiring Rohit and Virat Kohli at the top of the order in the Twenty20 Internationals. Rishabh Pant will likely be at No. 3, Suryakumar and Hardik are sure bets in the middle order.
Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag, Rinku Singh, and Shivam Dube may now compete for the remaining seat. Dube and Parag have the ability to contribute with the ball, which may work to their advantage; nevertheless, Rinku’s demeanour and the results he has achieved in his brief career will be difficult to ignore.
A case of 2 out of 3
After the ODI World Cup, it would have seemed unthinkable that Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul would be battling for spots in the ODI middle order ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy. However, if the selectors consider Pant to be the first-choice keeper—as Rahul was while Pant was healing from injuries he had in an automobile accident—that is a fact they might have to deal with.
Kohli, Rohit, and Gill choose to start at the top of the order. Only two of Pant, Iyer, and Rahul can play in the middle order if Hardik, who has chosen to skip the Sri Lanka ODIs, is guaranteed to be healthy. Only two could be involved in this series as well.
The fast-bowling depth
India’s top three fast bowlers in all forms are Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj. However, Gambhir is anxious to make sure that workloads are carefully managed because the focus will likely move to Test cricket following this tour. India will play five Tests at home and five in Australia from September to January. This idea is demonstrated by the fact that Bumrah was rested for the Sri Lankan tour, while Shami is gradually regaining his full health following a protracted injury layoff.
Siraj is expected to lead the attack in both formats in Sri Lanka, and although Arshdeep Singh is a clear favourite for T20Is, he will also have an opportunity to prove himself in the 50-over game. We’ll also be attentively examining Khaleel Ahmed and the hard-hitting Harshit Rana, who was selected for the T20Is and ODIs, respectively.
Then there are the likes of Mayank Yadav, who is recovering from various injuries, Avesh Khan, and Mukesh Kumar, who will have the next domestic season, which starts with the Duleep Trophy on September 5, to bolster their credentials.