Opening batter Rohit Sharma will return to lead Team India in the upcoming ODI series against Sri Lanka. All-rounder Hardik Pandya has been named the new vice-captain of the side in place of KL Rahul. Hardik will also continue to lead the team in the T20Is, and Surya Kumar Yadav will be his deputy.
Wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant has been axed from the limited-overs squads while two uncapped pacers Shivam Mavi and Mukesh Kumar have received their maiden India call-up for the T20Is.
Even Rohit, Rahul and Virat Kohli are not part of the shortest format and there is an indication that they might not be picked again keeping the 2024 T20 World Cup in mind.
The trio will probably be asked to concentrate on the 50-overs format with a World Cup set to be played in India next year.
“Yes, there will be no official announcement that Rohit has been removed from T20I captaincy but he along with Kohli and Rahul will be phased out from the format. Obviously, Rohit’s dislocated thumb injury hasn’t completely healed although he has started training. But phasing out has indeed started,” a senior BCCI source privy to development was quoted as saying to PTI.
Meanwhile, left-handed opener Shikhar Dhawan has been dropped from the ODI squad for the Sri Lanka series, being replaced by Shubman Gill. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah also doesn’t feature in both the squads as they continue to recover from their respective injuries.
The Sri Lanka tour of India 2023 will begin on January 3 in Mumbai. The three ODIs will be played on January 10, 12 and 15, respectively.
India T20I squad: Hardik Pandya (c), Suryakumar Yadav (vc), Ishan Kishan (wk), 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.
ODI squad: Rohit Sharma (c), 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, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh.
