Rohit returns for Sri Lanka ODIs, Hardik to lead in T20Is
As per reports, KL Rahul won't be available for the Sri Lanka series due to personal reasons and Kohli had asked for a break. So whether Kohli and Rohit will be part of India's T20I plans going forward remains to be seen.
India captain Rohit Sharma will be back in action in the upcoming ODI series against Sri Lanka, which starts from January 10, while Hardik Pandya will be his deputy. Rohit was sidelined midway during the Bangladesh series after he injured his thumb during the second ODI and was subsequently ruled out of the two-Test series that followed.
The squad for the Sri Lanka T20Is was also announced. Pandya will lead the side, with Suryakumar Yadav as his deputy. Senior pro Rohit, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul are not part of the series. As per reports, KL Rahul won't be available for the Sri Lanka series due to personal reasons and Kohli had asked for a break. So whether Kohli and Rohit will be part of India's T20I plans going forward remains to be seen.
Another huge takeaway is the absence of Rishabh Pant from either squad, whereas Shikhar Dhawan, India's second-highest run-getter in 2022, has been dropped from the ODI set-up as well. Besides, Mukesh Kumar and Shivam Mavi, both of whom fetched decent bids during the recent IPL auction, have earned maiden India call-ups.
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Rohit and Rahul have had their fair share of injuries this year. Rohit has played only two Tests, eight ODIs and 29 T20Is in 2022 for India. In the 50-overs format, the India captain scored 249 runs at an average of 41.50, with three half-centuries and a best of 76 not out. In T20Is, Rohit averages 24.29 and has a strike rate of 134.42. For the first time since 2012, he did not score a single international century in a year.
Rahul, who came back to the Indian side from the three-match ODI series in Zimbabwe after a long injury lay-off, played four Tests, 10 ODIs and 16 T20Is. He scored 251 runs at an average of 27.88, with two half-centuries and the best score of 73. In 16 T20Is this year, he scored 434 runs at an average of 28.93 and six half-centuries, with a best score of 62.
India's squad for Sri Lanka T20Is: Hardik Pandya (Captain), Ishan Kishan (Wicketkeeper), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (Vice-captain), Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi, Mukesh Kumar.
India's squad for Sri Lanka ODIs: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (Wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (Wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya (Vice-captain), Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh.
