Big News: BCCI announces Suryakumar Yadav-led India's squad for T20I series against Sri Lanka, not Hardik Pandya, this star appointed vice captain

India's 15-member strong squad for the T20I series has been announced. While Suryakumar Yadav will be leading India's T20I squad, Shubman Gill will be his deputy.

Abhijeet Kumar Singh

• Thu • 18 Jul 2024

Suryakumar Yadav. (Getty)

Highlights:

India's T20I team has been announced for the series against Sri Lanka.

Suryakumar Yadav has been appointed T20I captain while Shubman Gill will be his deputy in the three-match series.

BCCI has announced the 15-member strong India's squad for the T20I series against Sri Lanka which is slated to start from July 27. Notably, Suryakumar Yadav will be leading the India's pack in the three-match T20I series. But surprisingly, Shubman Gill has been appointed as India's vice-captain for the T20I series. Gill recently led India to T20I series win against Zimbabwe. The T20I squad for Sri Lanka boasts a familiar core, featuring several key players from India's triumphant T20 World Cup campaign. Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, and Axar Patel all return after taking a break during the Zimbabwe series. However, Jasprit Bumrah has been rested for the series. This Sri Lanka tour marks a significant turning point for the Indian T20I team. Following the recent retirements of veterans Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja from the format, a new era dawns under the leadership of a newly appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir. This series will be India's first bilateral T20I venture in Sri Lanka since 2021, offering an exciting opportunity for the team to build upon their World Cup success with a new chapter.

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India's T20I squad for Sri Lanka series:

Suryakumar Yadav (C), Ꮪhubman 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, Mohd. Siraj.

The mantle of India's T20I captaincy falls to the prolific Suryakumar Yadav. Following Rohit Sharma's retirement after their triumphant T20I World Cup title win, the 33-year-old batsman steps up to lead the charge. Suryakumar, who made his T20I debut against England in 2021, boasts an impressive record. He's already piled up over 2300 runs, peppered with four centuries and 19 fifties. This isn't his first taste of leadership either - he's captained India in seven T20Is before, amassing a further 300 runs with another century under his belt. Reports suggest that Hardik Pandya's fitness concerns and managing his workload played a role in the selection committee's decision, ultimately leading them to choose Suryakumar for the captaincy.