Suryakumar Yadav has been named captain for the T20Is, marking the 33-year-old's debut as the team's leader in this format. The series will comprise three matches scheduled for July 27, July 28, and July 30.
Digital Desk: Ahead of the upcoming Sri Lanka T20I series, Ajit Agarkar, the chief selector of the Indian Cricket Team, discussed the decision to appoint right-hand batter Suryakumar Yadav as captain over star all-rounder Hardik Pandya for the national side in T20Is.
Suryakumar Yadav has been named captain for the T20Is, marking the 33-year-old's debut as the team's leader in this format. The series will comprise three matches scheduled for July 27, July 28, and July 30.'
Agarkar, a former right-arm seamer, emphasized Pandya's crucial role in the team despite his unique skill set being hard to replace. Addressing Pandya's intermittent fitness challenges, Agarkar stressed the importance of consistent availability for team selection. He added, "Surya possesses all the requisite qualities to lead the team."
Following the T20I series, a three-match ODI series will commence on August 1. The T20Is will be hosted at the Pallekele International Stadium, while the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo will stage the ODI matches, according to ESPNCricinfo.
Both teams will see new head coaches in action, with legendary all-rounder Sanath Jayasuriya appointed as Sri Lanka's interim head coach and former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir taking charge of India's coaching responsibilities, succeeding the T20 World Cup-winning coach Rahul Dravid.
India's last bilateral white-ball series against Sri Lanka took place in July 2021 under the leadership of Shikhar Dhawan and coach Rahul Dravid. India won the ODI series 2-1, while Sri Lanka clinched the T20I series with the same margin.
This upcoming series will be India's second T20I outing since their T20 World Cup triumph, having recently secured a 4-1 victory over Zimbabwe in a five-match T20I series.
India's T20I squad: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, and Mohd. Siraj.
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