India’s limited-overs captain Rohit Sharma is all set to lead the team in the Test format as well, a source confirmed to Sports Tak. His first assignment in the red-ball format will be against Sri Lanka in a two-match Test series in March.
In December 2021, Rohit was named vice-captain for the South Africa tour before he got injured and was ruled out of the series. In his absence, KL Rahul was appointed vice-captain for the tour and also led the side in second Test when Virat Kohli was out of action due to upper back spasm. Later, Kohli stepped down from captaincy following a series defeat against Dean Elgar’s side.
In addition, India’s star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is set to return for the T20I and Test series against Sri Lanka. Jadeja had injured his right forearm in the Kanpur Test against New Zealand in November 2021. He was ruled out of the Wankhede Test against the Kiwis followed by South Africa tour and limited-overs series against West Indies at home.
Jadeja making a comeback also helps India replace Washington Sundar easily. Sundar was recently ruled out of the ongoing T20I series against West Indies due to hamstring muscle strain. The 22-year-old was replaced by Kuldeep Yadav in the T20I squad as the all-rounder will be undergoing treatment at National Cricket Academy (NCA), Bengaluru.
The Indian squad for the upcoming T20I series is likely to be announced later this week by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Jadeja is likely to be a part of it.
India will play Sri Lanka in three-T20I series starting on February 24 at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow. The first Test will be played at Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium. It will also be Virat Kohli's 100th Test appearance. The second Test will be played at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.
