New Delhi: For India’s T20I series against Sri Lanka, right-handed batsman Suryakumar Yadav has been selected captain; veteran opener Rohit Sharma will lead the team in the ODI portion of the tour. Shubman Gill, who led India to a 4-1 T20I series win in Zimbabwe after the 2024 T20 World Cup triumph last month in Barbados, will be the vice-captain in both white-ball series, beginning on July 27 in Pallekele, the BCCI announced along with the squad following a meeting of the selection committee on Thursday evening.
In all formats of domestic cricket in India, Suryakumar, who is ranked No. 2 in the ICC Men’s T20I batting rankings, has led the Mumbai team. In November of last year, after the ODI World Cup final, he also captained India to a 4-1 T20I victory over Australia. In December of 2023, he led India to a 1-1 series draw in South Africa.
Surprisingly, Hardik Pandya, an all-rounder who led his team to victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup, has lost out to Gill as the new T20I vice-captain. Only for the T20I series, Suryakumar has been chosen, along with Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson, Pandya, and Ravi Bishnoi.
Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Mohammed Siraj, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, and Rishabh Pant are all part of the T20I and ODI squads. For India in the lead-up to the 2025 Champions Trophy, Rohit will be joined by Virat Kohli, K.L. Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav, and Shreyas Iyer for the 50-over leg of the Sri Lanka tour.
Both Riyan Parag, who made his T20I debut during the Zimbabwe tour, and Harshit Rana, who was included in the squad for the first two matches after Kolkata Knight Riders’ thrilling IPL 2024 victory, have now been called up for the first time in their Indian team’s history in one-day internationals. Jasprit Bumrah, the T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament, has taken a complete break from his tour of Sri Lanka.
India’s tour will commence with back-to-back Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) on July 27 and 28, followed by the series-deciding match on July 30. India will arrive in Sri Lanka on July 22. After that, the action moves to Colombo’s R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, where three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) are being held on August 2, 4, and 7.
After Rahul Dravid’s term as India’s head coach came to an end last month with the team’s victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies, Gautam Gambhir’s first assignment as head coach is a tour to Sri Lanka. In addition, the BCCI stated that it will keep an eye on player participation and availability for the forthcoming domestic cricket season, which runs from 2024 to 25.
The following players represent India in the Twenty20 International format: Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj; Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK).
India ODI squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana.
