BCCI announce squads for Sri Lanka series, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane dropped

The squad for India’s upcoming home series against Sri Lanka has been announced on February 19. India would be going into the T20I series without Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant as both players have been given rest. Washington Sundar and KL Rahul are the other players to have missed out owing to their injuries.

However, the squad has been bolstered with the return of senior bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja, who has now recovered from his recent injuries, also walks back into the T20 side.

Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane dropped from Test

For the Test squad, the Indian selectors would have had long discussions. While both Kohli and Pant return to the team, Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara have been left out.

The selectors, led by Chetan Sharma, have seemed to have lost their patience with the two senior players as a result of their lack of form over a lengthy period. Two other senior players in Wriddhiman Saha and Ishant Sharma have also not made the cut.

While Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari have made the squad as India’s middle-order options, Mayank Agarwal would potentially be opening the batting with Rohit Sharma in Rahul’s absence. Bumrah, Shami and Mohammed Siraj form the first-choice attack, whole Ravi Ashwin, Jadeja and Jayant Yadav round off the Test squad as India’s spin bowling options.

The selectors have also announced Rohit Sharma as India’s new Test Captain.

India squad for Sri Lanka series

T20I

Rohit Sharma (C), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Jasprit Bumrah Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Sanju Samson, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav and Avesh Khan

Tests

Rohit Sharma (C), Mayank Agarwal, Priyank Panchal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, KS Bharat, R Ashwin (fitness), Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Kuldeep, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Sourabh Kumar