India Squad Announcement vs Sri Lanka Highlights: Surya New T20I Captain; Rohit, Kohli in ODI Side; Iyer-Rahul Return

Suryakumar Yadav will lead India in T20Is, with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli also back for India Squad Announcement vs Sri Lanka Highlights: Surya New T20I Captain; Rohit, Kohli in ODI Side; Iyer-Rahul Return

India Squad Announcement vs Sri Lanka 2024 Highlights: Suryakumar Yadav will lead India in T20Is, with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli also back for the ODIs.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced India’s twin squads for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka. The selection meeting was postponed by a day to Thursday. The players are set to leave for Sri Lanka on July 22, with the tour kicking off with a three-match T20I series on July 27, followed by a three-match ODI series.

Suryakumar Yadav has been confirmed as the new T20I captain for the Sri Lanka series, following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from the format after leading the team to the 2024 T20 World Cup title last month. The tour will also mark Gautam Gambhir’s debut as the new head coach of the Indian team, succeeding Rahul Dravid, who stepped down after the T20 World Cup.

Seasoned players Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah, initially expected to miss the white-ball tour, will return for the ODI series.

Why Suryakumar?

Despite Hardik Pandya being the vice-captain during the T20 World Cup, Suryakumar Yadav was chosen as the captain. Reports suggest that Gambhir, who shares a great camaraderie with Yadav from their time at Kolkata Knight Riders, preferred him for the role.

Rohit Returns to Lead Team India

KL Rahul, who is scheduled to return to the Indian side for the ODI series, would have taken the lead if Rohit had not made himself available. Hardik Pandya, one of the stars of India’s T20 World Cup success, will take a sabbatical during the three-match ODI series for “personal reasons.”

India’s Tour of Sri Lanka

Shubman Gill, who recently led India to a T20I series win over Zimbabwe, has been picked as the vice-captain for the white-ball series. The first T20I between India and Sri Lanka will take place on July 27, followed by games on July 28 and July 30 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.

The ODIs, initially scheduled to start on August 1, will now begin on August 2, followed by matches on August 4 and August 7 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. This will be India’s first white-ball bilateral trip to the island nation since 2021, when Dravid was the stand-in coach and Shikhar Dhawan led a second-string side.