3 Indian players who might not get a game in the T20I series against Sri Lanka
Team India are gearing up for the upcoming limited-overs assignment against Sri Lanka, which will be their first of the new calendar year. A three-match T20I series will kick-start the tour, followed by three ODIs.
India announced a relatively young squad for the T20Is, with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja among those to miss out. Hardik Pandya will captain the Men in Blue, while Suryakumar Yadav has been announced as his deputy.
India's squad for the Sri Lanka T20Is: Hardik Pandya (captain), Ishan Kishan (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (vice-captain), Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi, Mukesh Kumar
Here are three Indian players who might not get a game in the T20I series against Sri Lanka.
#3 Mukesh Kumar
Fast bowling options in the T20I squad :
Arshdeep Singh
Harshal Patel
Shivam Mavi
Umran Malik
Mukesh Kumar
The last time India played a T20I without Bhuvi, Shami, Siraj, Bumrah, Avesh, Shardul, Deepak Chahar, or Umesh Yadav, was 10 years back in 2012.
It was perhaps a touch surprising to see Mukesh Kumar earn a call-up to India's T20I squad. He has played 23 T20Is, in which he has scalped 25 wickets at an economy rate of 7.2, and wasn't part of an IPL side until the Delhi Capitals acquired his services in the 2023 auction.
Mukesh is primarily a powerplay bowler, with the ability to swing the ball both ways. He isn't proven at the death and doesn't possess the pace necessary to be a middle-overs enforcer.
India haven't picked Bhuvneshwar Kumar for the series, but they still have Arshdeep Singh to make an impact with the new ball. Others like Harshal Patel and Umran Malik will be ahead of Mukesh in the pecking order, while Hardik Pandya has performed a versatile role with the ball for the Gujarat Titans.
We might have to wait a bit longer to see Mukesh turn out in international cricket.
#2 Rahul Tripathi
Rahul Tripathi has been in and around the Indian white-ball side for a few series now, but he hasn't gotten his maiden cap yet. Unfortunately, he may be restricted to the bench during the Sri Lanka T20I series as well.
Ishan Kishan is expected to be one of India's openers, but his partner is still yet to be ascertained. Ruturaj Gaikwad has been a part of the T20I side for longer, but his returns haven't been great. Shubman Gill, yet to make his debut in the format, had a breakthrough year in 2022. Tripathi, meanwhile, is a versatile batter who shows more intent than the other two.
If India follow their pecking order philosophy, Gaikwad could be the one to get the nod. If they back recent form, Gill could be the frontrunner. Hardik captained Gill in IPL 2022, and the opener responded with a prolific season. While Tripathi might seem like the best choice on paper, he may be behind the other two right now.
Middle-order spots are hard to come by as well, with Deepak Hooda, Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson in the mix. Tripathi might not get a game against Sri Lanka, although he definitely deserves to.
#1 Shivam Mavi
Armed with great skill, our bowlers give us an unbelievable edge! 💪🔥
So looking forward to next season 😍
#AavaDe #TATAIPL https://t.co/q2IS2rrd9A
Shivam Mavi appears to be hitting a purple patch in his career. After dealing with injuries and poor form, the young bowler excelled in the domestic white-ball season and seems ready to make the step up to international cricket.
However, Mavi might not be trusted to don the India blue so early in his career, especially with more experienced options in the squad. Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik and Harshal Patel are likely to be the three frontline pace options in the XI, and all of them deserve extended runs. The Men in Blue might even want to field an extra spinner and play Hardik as the third fast bowler.
It won't be long before Mavi is incorporated into the first-choice side, but he might warm the bench against Sri Lanka.