As India begins a new chapter, and a new World Cup cycle, all eyes will be on the two new appointees — head coach Gautam Gambhir and T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav — as they aim to make instant impact against a Sri Lankan team, hoping to start afresh after a forgettable T20 World Cup campaign in the limited-overs series, starting with three T20Is, in Pallekele on Saturday.
Suryakumar’s elevation came as a slight surprise given he leapfrogged a certain captain-in-waiting in Hardik Pandya for the job. The selectors also ignored his comparative lack of experience as captain. Ajit Agarkar and Co. made it clear that they wanted a captain who was on the park “more often than not” and went by “dressing room feedback” while deciding on the captaincy.
The retirements of the top three — Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja from the shortest format, after winning the T20 World Cup in the Americas last month will shift the focus to building the core as part of the preparations for the next edition in 2026 that the two countries (India and Sri Lanka) will jointly host.
Young batting gun and vice-captain in the white-ball formats, Shubman Gill will look to make the most of the opportunity to cement his place and others like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh and even Riyan Parag will look to do the same.
While the like-for-like replacement Axar Patel fits in perfectly for Jadeja in the XI, India also have riches in the all-round department given Pandya, Shivam Dube and an in-form Washington Sundar are also available.
Jasprit Bumrah has been deservingly rested from this tour which gives the pair of Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj to make the most of favourable conditions at the Pallekele International Stadium, where the surface tends to assist pace and bounce.
On the other hand, Sri Lanka will look to get their act together after a nightmarish T20 World Cup, where they failed to get past the Group stages. After their flop show, skipper Wanindu Hasaranga, coach Chris Silverwood and consultant coach Mahela Jayawardene tendered their resignations.
And thus they too have a new skipper in Charith Asalanka, hoping to change the side’s fortunes. But before they could begin the series, the hosts were jolted as two of their experienced bowlers Dushmantha Chameera (bronchitis and respiratory infection) and slingy Nuwan Thushara (broken finger) have been ruled out.
Asitha Fernando and Dilshan Madushanka, who took a five-for the last time India and Sri Lanka played in the ODI World Cup, have been named replacements. The 2014 T20 World Cup winners also named former skipper Sanath Jayasuriya as interim coach and he has urged his side to make the most of India’s lack of experienced stars, but knows well that his team is desperately short on solid performances.
Playing at home, Sri Lanka should feel confident about their chances, and will bank on the experiences of experienced campaigners like former captain Dinesh Chandimal, and talents like Dasun Shanaka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis to tame the visitors.