As India begins a new era under Gautam Gambhir, the immediate focus is on white-ball cricket with the Indian team set to take on hosts Sri Lanka in a three-match T20I rubber under designated T20 specialist Suryakumar Yadav, who takes the reins of the World champion side from his Mumbai colleague Rohit Sharma after the latter’s retirement from the shortest format. Rohit, however, will be in charge of the Men-in-Blue in the subsequent three-game ODI series during the ongoing tour of Sri Lanka.
With the Paris Olympics kicking off in a couple of days, the series that marks the start of a new T20 World Cup cycle, while the ODI squad begins its preparations for next year’s ICC Champions Trophy, the tour could have otherwise been a low-key affair. However, with Gambhir taking charge as the new head coach, the white-ball series in the Island nation could give a glimpse of the make-up of the Indian T20 side following the retirements of the big three — Rohit, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, and the composition of the ODI squad as India targets the ICC Champions Trophy in early 2025.
In the scenario, the T20 retirements of the trio opens the door for a number of probable candidates staking claim to the spots. If the Zimbabwe series, and the subsequent elevation of Shubman Gill as the vice-captain in white-ball cricket was any indication, it could well be assumed that the top-two slots would be grabbed by the Punjab batter and Yashasvi Jaiswal with Rishabh Pant as the No.3.
Suryakumar Yadav, now a designated T20 specialist, after confirmation from chief selector Ajit Agarkar that the Mumbaikar is solely being looked at as a T20I player after the return of KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant in the 50-over format, will be hoping to make the most of the responsibility with the team management eyeing a two-year runway leading into India’s defence of their T20 crown at home and in Sri Lanka in 2026.
Suryakumar has captained India seven times in an interim capacity so far, and was the team’s second-highest run-getter in their 4-1 series win over Australia soon after the ODI World Cup last November, before leading the T20I squad to a 1-1 scoreline in South Africa, where he scored 56 and 100 in two innings. A handful of T20Is may not always provide the correct assessment but sounds promising.
Having said that, Suryakumar might also have to deal with a possible undercurrent within the side, especially from Hardik Pandya, who is his captain in franchise cricket, and till the T20 World Cup was India’s captain-in-waiting in the shortest format.
Back to the composition of the side, Suryakumar and Hardik are the certainties for the No.4 and 5 slots, leaving the finishing job to a handful of probables in Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh and Riyan Parag.
With Rishabh back in the mix, Sanju’s wicketkeeping responsibilities will be at best a back-up option, while Gambhir’s liking for all-rounders (going by his preferences in the IPL teams he served as a mentor), Dube and Parag could find themselves tussling for the spot for their abilities to roll their arms. This leaves India’s arguably best finisher in recent months – Rinku – in a spot, but his temperament and numbers over his brief career can’t be overlooked at any cost.
ODI set-up after Pant’s return
The return of Rishabh Pant to 50-overs cricket for the first time ever since the deadly car-crash in December 2022, leaves a lot for the captain and team management to work on the composition of the side. KL Rahul, who exceeded expectations with his glove-work during the ODI World Cup, will be itching to be back in action, especially after being overlooked from the T20 World Cup team, but it won’t be a smooth return for the Karnataka batter.
If the team management decides to field Pant as the specialist wicket-keeper, Rahul and Shreyas Iyer, another top performer at the ODI World Cup, could be potentially tussling for the one spot, left vacant by Hardik Pandya, who has opted for a break from the Sri Lanka ODIs. Also there are possibilities that only two of Rahul, Pant and Shreyas could be fielded in the XI if the management opts for an all-round option in Riyan Parag or Dube.
Ravindra Jadeja’s absence from the trip potentially makes Axar Patel an automatic selection in the XI, while there are opportunities for the likes of Washington Sundar to stake a claim to that lower-order spinning-all-rounder’s role.
Despite the absence of Jasprit Bumrah (rested) and Mohammed Shami (recovering from ankle surgery), the pace bowling department has familiar names in Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh along with Khaleel Ahmed. Harshit Rana is the lone new face in the attack, and could be keen to don that India hat.