Confusions loom large over Team India’s selection for Sri Lanka T20Is

After the ODI series against the West Indies, Team India’s next assignment is the T20I series versus Sri Lanka. The games get underway on January 5 at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. Indore and Pune are the hosts for the last two matches on January 7 and January 10 respectively. The series is only a couple of weeks away and the Indian squad is yet to be announced.

Meanwhile, there’s a confusion over who will announce the squad for the Lanka T20Is. There’s no clarity over the current selection panel, headed by MSK Prasad. The Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) was set to appoint a new selection panel, but the conflict of interest issue has kept the candidates at bay. Regarding the same, the BCCI has decided to approach the Supreme Court.

As per reports in Indian Express, back on December 1, Sourav Ganguly, the BCCI president, mentioned that the selection panel would be formed in around a week and 10 days. However, there’s no update regarding it as of now. It’s been learned that the Supreme Court has postponed the hearing until January and the development has made things even more complicated.

India squad should be announced by December 25

On Friday, Ganguly stated that the CAC would be formed in a couple of days following which the interview process will start. To start with, applications will be invited followed by the interviews. The squad for the Sri Lanka series needs to be put forth at least 10 days in advance. If the CAC is formed on Monday, December 23, there won’t be much time left for announcing the squad.

For the time being, it seems likely that the Prasad-led selection panel will be naming the squad. Former Indian spinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan is the front-runner for replacing Prasad as the chairman of the selection committee. Now it remains to be seen how much more time the BCCI will take to name the squad, which should be announced by Wednesday, December 25.

The Sri Lanka T20Is will mark the start of the Men in Blue’s international journey in 2020. It will be followed by three ODIs versus Australia, starting January 14. In January itself, India will tour New Zealand for five T20Is, three ODIs and a couple of Tests.