3 Indian players who might not get a game in the ODI series against Sri Lanka
Team India are gearing up for the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, which will be their first 50-over assignment of the new calendar year. The opening game will be played in Guwahati on Tuesday, January 10.
India have announced that star pacer Jasprit Bumrah will miss the series, after initially adding him to the squad. Apart from Bumrah and perhaps Ravindra Jadeja, the Men in Blue are fielding a full-strength side. As a result, a few big names might find themselves on the bench.
India's squad for Sri Lanka ODIs: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh
Here are three Indian players who might not get a game in the ODI series against Sri Lanka.
#3 Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan is on the back of a record-breaking ODI double hundred against Bangladesh, which was scored less than a month ago. However, the southpaw might not be part of India's playing XI for the first game of the series and might consequently be left out of the other two matches as well.
India have confirmed that Shubman Gill will open the batting alongside Rohit Sharma, with the young opener having been consistent to start his ODI career. The Men in Blue have a wicket-keeping option in KL Rahul, who is expected to bat at No. 5.
So unless India drop one of Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and Rahul, Kishan doesn't stand a chance of making the side despite his recent notable knock. The team management's thinking can't be faulted, though, since Gill has done nothing to warrant being dropped and the others are proven performers.
#2 Kuldeep Yadav
Kuldeep Yadav played eight ODIs in 2022, picking up 12 wickets at an average of 27.75 and an economy rate of 4.96. These are middling numbers and mirror those of spin partner Yuzvendra Chahal, who is in contention with the former for a spot in the XI.
Chahal is likely the frontrunner at this point, and India even have the option of fielding two finger-spinning all-rounders in Axar Patel and Washington Sundar alongside three pacers. They might opt to go down that route in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, with Mohammad Shami returning from injury and Hardik Pandya's bowling workload needing to be monitored.
Regardless of whether they decide to field a wrist-spinner or not, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Kuldeep on drinks duty during the assignment.
#1 Suryakumar Yadav
Fresh off a blistering T20I ton against the same opposition, Suryakumar Yadav will be itching to make the most of his purple patch. But the batter might have to sit out the ODI series, presumably much to Sri Lanka's delight.
Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer are slated to bat at Nos. 3 and 4 respectively. While the former cannot be realistically dropped, Shreyas was arguably India's best ODI batter in 2022. KL Rahul, meanwhile, will be the primary wicket-keeper at No. 5, after whom all-rounders will feature.
So Suryakumar, whose ideal ODI batting position is yet to be ascertained, should find himself on the sidelines. It remains to be seen if he manages to hit the right groove in the 50-over format at some point in the future.