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The Indian National Cricket Team is set for a notable transformation with Gautam Gambhir taking over as the new head coach, succeeding Rahul Dravid, his former teammate. Gambhir’s stewardship begins with the team’s upcoming tour of Sri Lanka, featuring three T20Is and as many ODIs.
Previously, Rahul Dravid steered the Men in Blue to victory in the T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and USA before senior batsmen Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja retired from T20I cricket. This development necessitates selectors to identify replacements ahead of the forthcoming series.
Among the contenders are promising youngsters like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, each eager for their opportunity. Gaikwad notably shone during India’s 4-1 series triumph over Zimbabwe. However, reports indicate he may not feature in Gambhir’s plans for the Sri Lanka tour.
Ruturaj Gaikwad To Be Dropped From India’s T20I Squad – Report
According to a report from Anandabazar Patrika, Gautam Gambhir is likely to opt for Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill as the primary opening pair for the Indian T20I squad in their upcoming series against Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, young all-rounder Abhishek Sharma is expected to serve as the backup opener ahead of Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Abhishek Sharma showcased his batting prowess during the recent T20I series against Zimbabwe, accumulating 124 runs across four matches at an average of 31.0 and an impressive strike rate of 174.6. Notably, the 23-year-old left-hander crafted a century in just 46 balls during his second innings.
On the other hand, Ruturaj Gaikwad displayed his batting mettle by scoring 133 runs in the series at a commendable average of 66.50 and a strike rate of 158.33. The right-handed batsman registered two half-centuries, including a top score of 77*, although he was rested for the fifth and final match of the Zimbabwe series while captaining CSK.
Hardik Pandya will lead the India T20I team in the upcoming series in Sri Lanka.
According to the report, Hardik Pandya is poised to return to the team as captain for the upcoming series after the 2024 T20 World Cup, with Suryakumar Yadav as vice-captain. Key players expected to rejoin include Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Mohammed Siraj.
There is speculation surrounding Shreyas Iyer’s potential inclusion, while uncertainty persists about Ishan Kishan due to their terminated central contracts earlier this year. Riyan Parag, Sai Sudharsan, and Jitesh Sharma, who debuted against Zimbabwe, are likely to miss out on the Sri Lanka tour.
Gautam Gambhir will confer with the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel to finalize the squad for the series starting in Pallekele on July 27.
