The Indian cricket team is entering a new chapter under head coach Gautam Gambhir, taking over from Rahul Dravid, as they prepare to face Sri Lanka in three T20Is and three ODIs starting July 27. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to announce the squads soon, with key discussions revolving around the captaincy for this series.
Captaincy Speculations
Hardik Pandya is seen as a potential successor to Rohit Sharma in the shortest format. However, reports suggest that Gambhir and the selection committee may favor Suryakumar Yadav for the T20I captaincy. If Rohit Sharma is unavailable, KL Rahul is likely to lead the ODI squad.
Live Updates
- 14:36 IST: With senior players like Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah likely to be rested, there may be opportunities for Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, who were not part of the T20 World Cup squad.
- 14:33 IST: Gambhir had a lengthy meeting with the selection committee and BCCI secretary Jay Shah to discuss squad composition for the Sri Lanka series.
- 13:28 IST: Although initial reports indicated that Rohit, Kohli, and Bumrah might miss the ODIs, it now appears Rohit could make a return and captain the ODI side.
- 12:05 IST: The management is looking for stability in leadership, expressing concerns over Hardik’s availability, hence the interest in Suryakumar as a more stable option.
- 11:14 IST: A BCCI source confirmed that while Hardik is fit for the T20I series, there is a strong sentiment favoring Suryakumar for the captaincy, not just for this series but looking ahead to the 2026 World Cup.
- 11:13 IST: Reports suggest Hardik may take a break from the ODI series for personal reasons, even though he played a key role in recent victories.
Projected Squads
ODI Squad:
- KL Rahul (C)
- Axar Patel
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Ruturaj Gaikwad
- Shubman Gill
- Sanju Samson (WK)
- Rishabh Pant (WK)
- Shreyas Iyer
- Ravindra Jadeja/Tilak Verma
- Washington Sundar
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Mohammed Siraj
- Mukesh Kumar
- Arshdeep Singh
- Shivam Dube/Rinku Singh
T20I Squad:
- Suryakumar Yadav (C)
- Hardik Pandya
- Axar Patel
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Shubman Gill
- Sanju Samson (WK)
- Rishabh Pant (WK)
- Shivam Dube
- Rinku Singh
- Washington Sundar
- Tilak Varma/Abhishek Sharma/Ruturaj Gaikwad
- Arshdeep Singh
- Mukesh Kumar
- Avesh Khan/Khaleel Ahmed/Mohammed Siraj
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Ravi Bishnoi
Conclusion
As the squad selection for the Sri Lanka series approaches, the emphasis is on building a stable team capable of performing well in the lead-up to major tournaments. The dynamics between established players and emerging talents will be crucial in shaping India’s future in international cricket.
