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Team India are gearing up for the upcoming multi-format series against Sri Lanka, commencing with a three-match T20I leg starting July 26 at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. As several senior players continue to rest following India’s T20 World Cup 2024 triumph, the squad for the Sri Lanka series is expected to feature a blend of experienced hands and promising young talents.
Young talent takes center stage
Given the absence of stalwarts like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who have retired from T20Is, and the continued rest for key players such as Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav, the team will rely heavily on emerging stars who showcased their skills in recent tournaments.
Captaincy under Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya is set to lead the team in Sri Lanka, marking a significant responsibility for the all-rounder in the absence of senior leadership. This series also marks the debut assignment of Gautam Gambhir as the head coach of the Indian team.
India’s probable 15-member squad for the T20I series against Sri Lanka:
1. Yashasvi Jaiswal (Batter):
- Role: Yashasvi Jaiswal is expected to open the innings and provide explosive starts to Team India. His role will be crucial in setting the tone early in the powerplay overs.
- Strength: Known for his aggressive stroke-play, Jaiswal has the ability to hit boundaries freely and capitalize on the fielding restrictions during the first six overs.
2. Ruturaj Gaikwad (Batter):
- Role: Ruturaj Gaikwad is a dependable top-order batter who can anchor the innings and build partnerships. He provides stability and ensures a solid foundation for the middle-order to capitalize on.
- Strength: Gaikwad’s strength lies in his technique and ability to rotate the strike, which allows him to play long innings and accelerate when required.
3. Shubman Gill (Batter):
- Role: Shubman Gill is versatile in his batting approach, capable of adapting to various situations. He can either stabilize the innings after an early wicket or accelerate the scoring rate in the middle overs.
- Strength: Gill’s elegance and timing make him a fluent stroke-maker, particularly effective against both pace and spin bowling.
4. Suryakumar Yadav (Batter):
- Role: Suryakumar Yadav plays the role of a middle-order aggressor who can change the course of the game with his attacking batting style. He is often tasked with finishing the innings strongly.
- Strength: Yadav’s ability to innovate and play unconventional shots makes him a difficult batter to contain, especially during the death overs.
5. Rinku Singh (Batter):
- Role: Rinku Singh provides depth to the batting line-up as a lower-order finisher. His role involves scoring quick runs towards the end of the innings and stabilizing the team in case of a collapse.
- Strength: Singh’s clean striking and ability to clear the boundaries make him a valuable asset in the latter stages of the innings, where he can capitalize on loose deliveries.
Also READ: Sri Lanka Cricket unveils schedule for the home white-ball series against India
6. Riyan Parag (All-rounder):
- Role: Riyan Parag contributes as a spin-bowling all-rounder, providing balance to the team’s composition. He can chip in with crucial overs in the middle and lower order batting contributions.
- Strength: Parag’s spin bowling is complemented by his ability to vary his pace and flight, making it challenging for batters to score freely. He also possesses a reliable batting technique, capable of scoring quick runs.
7. Abhishek Sharma (All-rounder):
- Role: Abhishek Sharma offers the team a left-arm spinning all-rounder option, contributing with both bat and ball. His role is crucial in providing breakthroughs with the ball and finishing off innings with the bat.
- Strength: Sharma’s economical bowling and ability to hit big shots down the order make him a valuable asset in limited-overs cricket. He adds depth to the team’s lower middle-order.
8. Hardik Pandya (Captain, All-rounder):
- Role: Hardik Pandya leads the team as an explosive middle-order batter and a pace-bowling all-rounder. His leadership will be pivotal in guiding the team’s strategy on the field.
- Strength: Pandya’s power-hitting capabilities make him a game-changer, capable of turning matches around in the final overs. His bowling adds depth to the pace attack, providing crucial breakthroughs.
9. Dhruv Jurel (Wicketkeeper):
- Role: Dhruv Jurel takes on the responsibility of wicketkeeping duties, ensuring tidy work behind the stumps and providing stability to the lower middle-order batting.
- Strength: Jurel’s safe hands and ability to handle pressure situations make him a reliable wicketkeeper-batter. He adds balance to the team’s composition with his consistent performances.
10. Sanju Samson (Wicketkeeper):
- Role: Sanju Samson serves as an experienced wicketkeeper-batter who can accelerate the scoring rate in the middle overs and finish innings with powerful strokes.
- Strength: Samson’s aggressive batting style and ability to clear the boundaries make him a dangerous player in the T20 format. He provides flexibility in the team’s batting order.
11. Avesh Khan (Pace bowler):
- Role: Avesh Khan plays the role of a right-arm fast bowler, tasked with providing early breakthroughs with the new ball and maintaining pressure in the death overs.
- Strength: Khan’s ability to bowl consistently at a good pace and extract bounce from the pitch makes him a potent threat to opposition batters. He is effective in both powerplay and death overs.
12. Washington Sundar/Ravi Bishnoi (Spinner):
- Role: There could be a toss up between Washington Sundar and Ravi Bishnoi, who serves as the team’s primary spinning option, responsible for containing runs in the middle overs and picking up crucial wickets.
- Strength: Both Sundar and Bishnoi’s accuracy and variations in spin make them difficult to score off, particularly on subcontinental pitches. They provide crucial breakthroughs in crucial junctures of the game.
13. Mukesh Kumar (Pace bowler):
- Role: Mukesh Kumar adds variety to the pace attack as a left-arm medium pacer. His role involves swinging the ball early on and providing breakthroughs in the middle overs.
- Strength: Kumar’s ability to swing the ball both ways and maintain a consistent line and length makes him a dependable option in seaming conditions. He can exploit any assistance from the pitch.
14. Yuzvendra Chahal (Spinner):
- Role: Yuzvendra Chahal is the team’s lead leg-spinner, entrusted with the task of picking up wickets in the middle overs and providing crucial breakthroughs.
- Strength: Chahal’s variations in flight and ability to deceive batters with his googlies make him a potent threat in limited-overs cricket. His experience adds stability to the team’s spin department.
15. Tushar Deshpande / Khaleel Ahmed (Pace bowler):
- Role: As the third pacer there could be a choice between Tushar Deshpande and Khaleel Ahmed, who provides a seam bowling option, capable of generating pace and bounce from the pitch.
- Strength: Both Deshpande and Khaleel’s ability to extract bounce and swing the ball makes them effective in seaming conditions. They provide variety to the team’s pace attack and can trouble batters with their variations.
