Suryakumar Yadav will captain Team India in the upcoming T20I series against Sri Lanka, as announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday.
Shubman Gill, who recently led the team in the T20I series against Zimbabwe, will serve as Yadav’s deputy in the three-match series.
Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who last captained the team, has not been given the leadership role this time. Pacers Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj, along with wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, return to the T20I squad after being rested for the Zimbabwe tour.
India’s tour of Sri Lanka will commence on July 27, starting with the three-match T20I series, followed by a three-match ODI series beginning on August 1. The Pallekele International Stadium will host the T20I matches, while the R Premadasa Stadium will host the ODIs.
The T20I matches are scheduled for July 27, July 28, and July 30. Both teams will be under new head coaches. Legendary all-rounder Sanath Jayasuriya will serve as the interim head coach for Sri Lanka, while former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir will make his debut as head coach for India, succeeding the T20 World Cup-winning coach Rahul Dravid.
India’s last bilateral white-ball series in Sri Lanka was in July 2021, with Dravid coaching the Shikhar Dhawan-led side. India won the ODI series 2-1, while Sri Lanka claimed the T20I series by the same margin.
This will be India’s second T20I series following their T20 World Cup victory, where they defeated South Africa by seven runs in the final. Recently, India defeated Zimbabwe 4-1 in a five-match T20I series.
India’s T20I Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, and Mohammed Siraj.
