3 Indian players who could make their T20I debut vs Sri Lanka
India will battle it out against Sri Lanka in a white-ball series to kickstart the new year. The tour will consist of three ODIs and three T20Is, with the shortest format kicking things off on January 3rd, 2023.
The T20I squad for the Men in Blue will see plenty of fresh faces in the upcoming series. With the experienced names missing out, Hardik Pandya is set to lead the team against the Asia Cup champions, with Suryakumar Yadav as his deputy.
The rest of the team comprises a good mix of youth and experience, with some young players set to get their first taste of international cricket.
On that note, we take a look at three players who could make their debut against Sri Lanka.
#1 Rahul Tripathi
Rahul Tripathi has been a part of India's T20I and ODI squads in recent times. However, the 31-year-old is yet to make his debut in international cricket.
He's got plenty of experience in the IPL, though, making his mark for the Rising Pune Supergiants and also playing for the Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders.
He has scored 1798 runs in the IPL with an average of 28 and a strike rate of 140 in 76 matches. Now with the Sunrisers Hyderabad, he scored 413 runs last season, striking at a rate of 158.24. His performances on the big stage helped him break open the selection door into the Indian side.
The top-order batter has been patiently waiting for his opportunity to don the blue jersey and make his first appearance for the national side.
#2 Shivam Mavi
Shivam Mavi was one of India's breakthrough stars at the U-19 World Cup in 2018. He initially caught the eye with his ability to bowl at over 140 clicks on a consistent basis and was signed by the Kolkata Knight Riders for ₹3 crore at the IPL Auction in the same year.
However, things haven't exactly gone according to plan for the youngster since then. With injuries hampering his progress, Mavi didn't really leave an imprint in the IPL, taking 30 wickets in 32 matches. He was signed by the Gujarat Titans for ₹6 crore at the IPL 2023 auction.
Back to his best in recent times, he impressed at the Vijay Hazare Trophy recently with 14 wickets in 7 matches.
His fine domestic form has earned him an India call-up, and the 24-year-old from Uttar Pradesh could be in line to make his debut in the series against Sri Lanka.
#3 Mukesh Kumar
The pacer from Bengal was in contention to make his Test debut in the series against Bangladesh this month. While that didn't work out, Mukesh Kumar certainly made his presence felt at the IPL auctions this year.
After setting a base price of ₹20 lakh, the 29-year-old was eventually picked up by the Delhi Capitals for a sum of ₹5.5 crore.
He rose through the ranks with consistent performances on the domestic circuit. Kumar took 20 wickets, including a couple of four-wicket hauls, in five matches at the Ranji Trophy last year.
He was also called up to the India 'A' side to face New Zealand 'A'. He finished the three-match series as the leading wicket-taker with nine wickets to his name.
Albeit a different format, teams are showing enough faith in the medium pacer to replicate his form from the red-ball to the white-ball formats. He could be in line to make his first appearance for the national side.