On July 18, the Indian cricket team was announced for the Sri Lanka tour. Star batsman Suryakumar Yadav was named the captain for the T20 series, while Rohit Sharma will lead the ODI series. Surprising everyone, Shubman Gill received the vice-captaincy for both series.
Although Hardik Pandya's name was leading the race for T20 captaincy, he fell behind Suryakumar. Pandya also lost the vice-captaincy in T20, meaning he will now play purely as a player in the T20 format. July 18, 2024, was a significant date for Pandya as he decided to part ways with his wife, Natasa Stankovic, on this day.
‘When our body doesn’t tire, our mind does’
Despite facing numerous challenges both on and off the field, Pandya’s resilience remains unmatched. While launching his sports apparel brand, he spoke at length about fitness, masking his emotions effectively.
Pandya shared, “When our body doesn’t tire, our mind does. So, many times in life, when I’ve been able to push my limits, it’s when my mind was tired, but I kept pushing my body forward. If you and I attempt 20-20, there’s no difference, but if I challenge myself with 25 attempts, next time I’ll do 25, then 30.”
Source: aajtak
The 30-year-old continued, “Sometimes it’s crucial to keep our minds free of thoughts. When my trainer asks for 10 push-ups, I always do 15. This has increased my stamina, and I believe everyone starting their fitness journey should focus on this.”
Pandya dominated the T20 World Cup
Hardik Pandya delivered an outstanding performance in the recent T20 World Cup. He climbed to the top spot in ICC’s T20 all-rounder rankings. Turning the tide in the T20 World Cup final, Pandya’s crucial wickets of Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller were game-changers. In the final, Pandya took 3 wickets for 20 runs, scoring 144 runs across 8 matches with an average of 48. Bowling with an economy rate of 7.64, he claimed 11 wickets in these 8 World Cup matches.
India's T20 Squad for the Sri Lanka Tour:
Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (Wicketkeeper), Sanju Samson (Wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, and Mohammed Siraj.
India's ODI Squad:
Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-Captain), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (Wicketkeeper), Rishabh Pant (Wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, and Harshit Rana.
India-Sri Lanka Series Schedule
27th July - 1st T20, Pallekele28th July - 2nd T20, Pallekele30th July - 3rd T20, Pallekele2nd August - 1st ODI, Colombo4th August - 2nd ODI, Colombo7th August - 3rd ODI, Colombo
