IND VS SL: The Indian cricket team squad for the upcoming T20I and ODI series against Sri Lanka is expected to be announced on Thursday. A report has claimed that Rohit Sharma will lead the team in ODIs, but Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah will be rested. The Sri Lanka tour holds special significance for the reigning T20I world champions as it will be Gautam Gambhir’s first assignment as Team India’s head coach.
Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav have emerged as the top contenders in the captaincy race after Rohit Sharma retired from T20Is. However, recent reports have claimed that SRH has an edge over Hardik in this race. Gambhir reportedly told the BCCI that he wants to work with a captain who does not have any fitness issues.
IND VS SL Who will be India’s next T20I captain?
There were talks of Hardik Pandya, who was the vice-captain during the T20 World Cup, being promoted to the role of captain, but reports have revealed that the star all-rounder might lose the role to his Mumbai Indians teammate Suryakumar Yadav. Gambhir and Surya share a great friendship, as the two used to play together in the Kolkata Knight Riders, and Gambhir has often blamed himself for not getting the best out of Surya in the purple and gold outfit.
Will KL Rahul lead Team India without Rohit?
Meanwhile, KL Rahul is expected to return to the Indian team for the ODI series against Sri Lanka and might even lead the Indian team if Rohit doesn’t play. Pandya, one of the heroes of India’s T20 World Cup win, will take a break during the three-match ODI series against the island nation due to “personal reasons”.
India tour of Sri Lanka
Shubman Gill, who led the Indian team to victory in the recent T20I series over Zimbabwe, may not continue as captain, as senior players are expected to return for the Sri Lanka tour. The first T20I between India and Sri Lanka will be played on July 27, followed by the remaining two T20Is on July 28 and July 30, all played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
The ODIs, which were earlier scheduled to begin on August 1, will now begin on August 2, followed by the remaining matches on August 4 and August 7, all played at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. This will be India’s first white-ball bilateral tour of the island nation since 2021. Dravid was the stand-in coach at the time, while Shikhar Dhawan was leading the second-string side.
