Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli to be rested for Sri Lanka T20Is, Ravindra Jadeja likely to return: Reports

India is all set to host Sri Lanka for a three-match T20I series followed by as many ODIs, from January 3, 2023. All the games will be played at six different venues, but the team announcement is yet to take place. The BCCI invited applicants for the national selection committee but turns out the outgoing Chetan Sharma-led selection committee will be selecting India’s squad for the upcoming series as the national selectors have been sent on duty at the ongoing Ranji Trophy by the board.

The announcement is set to happen soon, but all eyes will be on skipper Rohit Sharma, who has been recovering from a thumb injury. Reports suggest that Sharma will remain out of the series as he has been advised more rest and has not fully recovered. Kohli’s inclusion in the T20I series is also unlikely as the batter has requested a break.

Rohit Sharma's injury to keep him sidelined

As per a report by Cricbuzz, Rohit Sharma’s injury will be keeping him out of the setup for a little longer, whereas Kohli might only be seen in the ODI series. Rohit suffered the injury during the third ODI against Bangladesh, and as a result, was ruled out of the two-match Test which followed next.

Kohli, on the other hand, notched up a century in the third ODI, but could not create an impact in the two Tests. Rohit and Kohli are anticipated to play in the ODI series, which is crucial as India will be hosting the World Cup in 2023. While the two senior batters might keep out of the T20I series, Ravindra Jadeja is expected to make a return to international cricket.

His injury had kept him out of the T20 World Cup and the Bangladesh series. But the all-rounder is likely to return for the upcoming Sri Lanka series. For the three-match series, it's expected that the selectors will continue with the second-string team, with Hardik Pandya taking on the leadership responsibilities that were given to him in New Zealand right after the T20 World Cup in Australia.