The Indian team for the upcoming ODI and T20 series against Sri Lanka was announced on July 18 (Thursday). Suryakumar Yadav will captain the Indian team in the T20 series, while Rohit Sharma will lead the ODI squad. Shubman Gill has been appointed vice-captain for both series.
Interestingly, Sanju Samson, the wicketkeeper-batsman, was not selected for the ODI series against Sri Lanka. However, Sanju has been included in the T20 squad. He had scored a century against South Africa in his last ODI match on December 21, 2023, which was India's most recent match in this format. This decision to exclude him from the ODI squad is quite surprising. Here are 3 major reasons why Sanju was not selected.
Struggles on Spin-Friendly Pitches
29-year-old Sanju Samson struggles on spin-friendly pitches. All three ODI matches against Sri Lanka will be played at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, a ground known for its spinner-friendly pitch, especially favoring leg-spinners. Sri Lankan leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga has performed excellently at this venue, taking 17 wickets in 10 ODI matches. He could have been a tough challenge for Samson, having dismissed him 3 times in international cricket.
KL Rahul's Experience Proved Crucial
With the experienced KL Rahul in the squad, it was tough for Sanju Samson to secure a spot in the ODI team. Rahul's recent performances in ODI cricket have been outstanding. His consistency in this format is noteworthy. Rahul performed brilliantly in the 2023 ODI World Cup, scoring 452 runs in 10 innings at an average of 75.33 and a strike rate of 90.76, including one century and two half-centuries. His highest score was 102 runs.
Source: aajtak
Pant Offers Left-Right Combination
Indian selectors are now looking towards the future, aiming to groom players like Rishabh Pant for the 2027 ODI World Cup. As a left-handed batsman, Pant provides a left-right combination option for the team. Additionally, his aggressive batting style and wicketkeeping skills are valuable assets for the team.
As for Sanju Samson's international career, he has played 16 ODIs and 28 T20 matches. In ODIs, Samson has scored 510 runs at an average of 56.66, including one century and three half-centuries. In T20 internationals, he has scored 444 runs at an average of 21.14, including two half-centuries.
India's tour of Sri Lanka will kick off on July 27 with a 3-match T20 series. The first T20 will be played on July 27, the second on July 28, and the final T20 on July 30, all scheduled to take place in Pallekele at 7 PM IST.
This will be followed by a 3-match ODI series. The first ODI is scheduled for August 2, with the remaining two matches on August 4 and August 7. All three ODIs will be held at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, and the matches will begin at 2:30 PM IST.
India's T20 Squad for the Series Against Sri Lanka:
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, Mohammad Siraj.
India's ODI Squad for the Series Against Sri Lanka:
Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-Captain), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (Wicketkeeper), Rishabh Pant (Wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammad Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana.
India-Sri Lanka Schedule
July 27 - First T20, Pallekele July 28 - Second T20, Pallekele July 30 - Third T20, Pallekele August 2 - First ODI, Colombo August 4 - Second ODI, Colombo August 7 - Third ODI, Colombo
