(AP/AFP Photo)
The BCCI’s announcement of the squad for the upcoming white-ball tour to Sri Lanka has seen notable exclusions among established players. India will face Sri Lanka in a three-match ODI series at Colombo’s R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium from August 2 to August 7.
Ruturaj Gaikwad
The right-handed top-order batsman has faced inconsistency in his appearances in the 50-over format, grappling to establish stability within the ODI side. His most recent ODI was against South Africa in Gqeberha in 2023, where he has struggled to achieve substantial scores.
Sanju Samson
It’s quite intriguing that Samson’s omission comes on the heels of his match-winning century in his last ODI, where he played a pivotal role in India achieving a defendable total against South Africa in Paarl. Despite this performance, he continues to be overlooked, struggling to find consistency and build a run of games that would bolster his confidence.
Ravindra Jadeja
The renowned Indian all-rounder has been a consistent presence in the Men in Blue’s one-day setup, but he has now been displaced by Washington Sundar in the squad. Jadeja’s last appearance in a 50-over game was during the ODI World Cup Final 2023 held in Ahmedabad.
Key figures in India’s white-ball cricket, including Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, have not been included in the squad. Additionally, players such as Rinku Singh, Rajat Patidar, and Tilak Varma, who featured in the recent ODI series in South Africa, have also been overlooked this time around.
Rishabh Pant is set to return to the 50-over side after an absence of over one and a half years. His last outing in ODI cricket was against New Zealand in Christchurch back in November 2022.
India ODI Squad:
Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana.
