Indian team received a huge boost ahead of their white-ball tour of Sri Lanka as senior batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have reportedly informed the BCCI that they will be available for three ODI series to be played in August.
India is set to travel to Sri Lanka for three ODIs and three T20Is. The three T20Is will be played on July 27,28 and 30 in Colombo RPS stadium, while the ODIs are slated for August 2, 4, and 7 in Pallekele Stadium.
As board secretary Jay Shah has taken a plane to Sri Lanka for the International Cricket Council annual conference, the BCCI senior selection committee is scheduled to convene through a Zoom call on Thursday night.
New India head coach Gautam Gambhir had asked senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah to play the ODIs in Sri Lanka citing a long break after the tour for six weeks.
And now Indian Express has reported that the senior batters Rohit and Kohli have agreed to the request and will take part in the three-match ODIs. Jasprit Bumrah is set to continue his break, while Hardik Pandya has already informed the BCCI that he will play T20Is and skip the ODIs for personal reasons.
Rishabh Pant is set to be included in the both T20I and ODI squads.
On the other hand, Suryakumar Yadav is set to be named T20I captain for the Sri Lanka series. Rohit Sharma will captain India in ODIs. The report stated that The BCCI has been informed by the selection committee that, should Suryakumar's performance fall short of expectations, they reserve the right to replace him as captain in the future.
The Indian team's captain for the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup, which will be held in both India and Sri Lanka, is expected to be Suryakumar.
Pandya appeared to be the front-runner to be captain, but selectors and BCCI executives reportedly spoke with Pandya to clarify their preferences for Suryakumar and their plans for the next two years.
Riyan Parag is also in line to be selected in the middle order in both ODI and T20I squads. The selection committee is experimenting with new players for the future, and Parag—who has bowling ability—is probably going to be included in both teams. Yashasvi Jaiswal, the opener, will only be included in the T20I squad due to Parag's participation, meaning Suryakumar will not be included in the ODI team.
Returning to the Indian ODI team is Shreyas Iyer, who was last seen in the ICC World Cup 50 overs squad. Iyer was singled out by the BCCI earlier in the year, and his name was taken out of the yearly contract. But he will soon earn a spot in the BCCI's yearly contract after making a comeback to international cricket.
Shivam Dube, an all-rounder from Mumbai, is probably going to be in both teams, especially since Pandya chose to skip ODIs.
(Indian Express report)
