India announced their squads for the upcoming T20I and ODI series against Sri Lanka on Thursday with major changes to both teams. Suryakumar Yadav was preferred over Hardik Pandya to lead the T20I squad which saw six big changes to the previous team.
Senior star players returned to the T20I setup after being given an extended rest after the T20 World Cup 2024 triumph. Shubman Gill led the young Indian side on the recent Zimbabwe tour and was named vice-captain for both ODI and T20I teams for the Sri Lanka series starting on July 27.
As expected, the star all-rounder Hardik Pandya returned to the T20I team after an impressive show with a ball in the T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies last month. The wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant also returned and replaced young Dhruv Jurel while the pace duo of Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj came in for Mukesh Kumar and Tushar Deshpande.
The biggest talking point from India's squad for Sri Lanka was the absence of Abhishek Sharma and Ruturaj Gailkwad who were impressive against Zimbabwe. Abhishek smashed a 46-ball hundred in the second T20 against Zimbabwe while Ruturaj scored 133 runs in just three innings at an amazing strike rate of 158.33.
Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill are expected to open an innings in T20Is against Sri Lanka followed by new skipper Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya and Rinku Singh. Both Riyan Parag and Shivam Dube kept their places in the team with the former also earning the first-ever ODI call-up.
India T20I Squad for Sri Lanka series: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Ꮪhubman Gill (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj.
Players In: Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj.
Players Out: Abhishek Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Dhruv Jurel, Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan, Tushar Deshpande.
