IND vs SL: The Board of Control for Cricket in India has announced the ODI and T20I squad for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. The series will begin on January 3, 2022. Interestingly, Rishabh Pant has not been included in the side for both the ODI and T20I games. In the ODI format too, despite KL Rahul‘s presence, Hardik Pandya has been announced as the vice-captain of the team. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul are also given a rest from T20Is.
The Indian team is set to host their neighbours, Sri Lanka, in a three-match T20I and a three-match ODI series. Apart from dropping Pant from the team, the men in blue have rested vice captain KL Rahul from the T20I set-up. Rahul, whose wedding news with Athiya Shetty is doing the rounds in the town, will return to the side in the 50-over setup. But the right-handed opener will not be India’s vice-captain in the ODI series as India have named Hardik Pandya as Rohit Sharma’s deputy in the ODI series. Sharma will make a return to the side in the ODIs after missing the 3rd ODI and a two-match test series against Bangladesh due to a thumb injury.
The Indian team has gone with a chop and change strategy in the T20Is. With Hardik Pandya leading the side, Suryakumar Yadav has been named as the vice-captain of the T20I team against the islanders. Hardik Pandya led the Indian team to a 1-0 victory in a three-match T20I series against New Zealand after the T20 World Cup 2022. Whereas, Suryakumar Yadav has been in sublime form in 2022. He was the leading run-scorer in the format in 2022 and is the No.1 T20I batter in the world.
Notably, the three-match home T20I series against Sri Lanka will begin on January 3, followed by three one-dayers set to be played on January 10.
India’s squad for Sri Lanka T20Is: Hardik Pandya (Captain), Ishan Kishan (wk), 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.
India’s squad for Sri Lanka ODIs: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya (VC), Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh.