The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the Indian squad for the upcoming limited-overs series against Sri Lanka. While seniors like Virat Kohli and captain Rohit Sharma have been rested for the T20Is, Rishabh Pant has been rested from both the T20I and ODI formats.
In the absence of Rohit, who is still recovering from an injury sustained during the Bangladesh tour, Hardik Pandya will lead the team in their home series against Sri Lanka. The selectors have also elevated Suryakumar Yadav as the vice-captain, a move that has been praised by many.
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However, the selectors have faced criticism for removing Shreyas Iyer from the T20I squad. Iyer has performed well across all formats this year and many fans are unhappy with this decision. In their defense, the selectors might have wanted Iyer to focus on the 50-over format with the World Cup coming up in a few months.
Rishabh Pant’s future in white-ball cricket is also under serious threat as he has been omitted from both T20 and ODI squads. It is still a mystery as to whether Pant was rested or has been removed from the side altogether.
No conclusive statements can be drawn from the BCCI press release which said: “The All-India Senior Selection Committee has picked India’s squads for the upcoming Mastercard Sri Lanka Tour of India to be held in January 2023. The tour comprises three T20Is and as many ODIs,” this is all it reads apart from the 16 names each for the three T20Is and the three ODIs.
While Pant had a dismal year in T20 cricket, he has been batting pretty well in the 50-over format, averaging 44 and striking at 101 since 2021.
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