Rumors have it that Gautam Gambhir is all set to take up the role of the Indian cricket team’s head coach for the upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka, beginning on July 27. New faces could feature in the T20I and ODI squads for the tour since it is likely that the new head coach of the Indian cricket team will have some questions and answers to these new.
India will fight four T20Is and three ODIs, where most USUAL players will likely come back after the break.
The Indian team that toured Zimbabwe is young, and some of the top players that played in the T20 World Cup tournament held in the West Indies last month were Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, and Mohammad Siraj, who were outstanding in the T20I series.
As recognized by Shastri, Gambhir begins his new role as head coach next week in the Sri Lanka series. Several changes in the squads, especially in T20I teams, will be expected, with call-ups to seniors.
Probables for T20I Changes
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India is to play with an 18-player squad for the Zimbabwe series, and currently, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal have emerged as the regular opening partners for India. But the Maharashtra player, Ruturaj Gaikwad, might have to sit out for the T20 side, and Suryakumar Yadav, who has been roped back into the side, might have the chance to be the vice-captain for the series.
As for bowling, again, it remains to be seen whether Hardik Pandya is going to come back as a captain. Having a player like Axar Patel in the middle order changes the look of the Indian team we saw in the Zimbabwe series. Sanju Samson may have better chances of playing for the Rajasthan Royals if Gambhir continues to lead the team.
SL Series Middle Order Options
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The Indian middle order that can be taken for the SL series might be Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, and Shivam Dube/Rinku Singh as the final strikeout bowlers. This team would mean that Riyan Parag, Sai Sudharsan, and Jitesh Sharma are likely to be out of the playing eleven.
Keeping in mind that Rishabh Pant has been playing continuously since being fit again from the injuries that threatened the accident, he could be given an extended break to stay fresh for the Bangladesh Test starting on September 19. In this case, Dhruv Jurel could replace Jitesh Sharma as the backup wicketkeeping option.
Squad
| Indian Squad |
| Shubman Gill |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal |
| Shreyas Iyer |
| Sanju Samson |
| KL Rahul |
| Hardik Pandya |
| Axar Patel |
| Kuldeep Yadav |
| Ravi Bishnoi |
| Arshdeep Singh |
| Mohammad Siraj |
| Ruturaj Gaikwad |
| Sai Sudharsan |
| Avesh Khan |
| Washington Sundar |
| Mukesh Kumar |
Khaleel to Make Way for Arshdeep?
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If left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh returns, Khaleel Ahmed is the most likely candidate to be left out. To accommodate an extra spinner, the Indian team management may also exclude Tushar Deshpande and Mukesh Kumar. Avesh Khan and Harshit Rana could find a place in the 16-member squad, with Mohammad Siraj possibly getting an extended break, even though the Hyderabad pacer could feature in the ODI leg of the tour.
Abhishek Sharma could be the backup opener to round off the squad. He showed a lot of promise during the 2024 IPL season and followed it up with decent performances in the Zimbabwe tour. Moreover, there is always a left-hand batting option with Abhishek.
Also Read: PCB Mulls Over Comprehensive Key Changes to Cricketers’ Obligations
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