3 major positives for India from their T20I series win over Sri Lanka ft. Riyan Parag's bowling
Team India's T20I era under Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir got off to a great start in Sri Lanka. The Men in Blue beat the home side 3-0 in a tightly contested series.
The defending T20 World Cup champions, India will be on a course to reclaim their title two years from now. While there is still a long way to go before that marquee tournament, they will be keen on ushering the youngsters through a difficult period of transition.
In a positive sign for India, they managed to get through difficult situations during the Sri Lanka series. And there were plenty of takeaways for the team management to look back upon.
On that note, here are three major positives for India from their T20I series win over Sri Lanka.
#3 India's new opening pair showed great promise
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli might no longer be playing T20Is for India, but that doesn't mean that the team is any worse off. In Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, India have found an exciting opening pair that can serve them well for the next decade.
Gill missed out on the 2nd T20I with a neck sprain, but he made important contributions in the other two matches. The youngster showcased his application and ability to adapt to any situation. Jaiswal, meanwhile, was a destructive force at the other end.
The Men in Blue have faith in Gill and Jaiswal ahead of the likes of Abhishek Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad. Based on their performances in the Sri Lanka series, it's hard to question that decision.
#2 Riyan Parag could morph into a 4-over bowler soon
Riyan Parag has bowled a high volume of overs in domestic cricket, but we haven't seen that translate to higher levels. Until now, that is, with the all-rounder having turned in an excellent showing in the T20I series against Sri Lanka.
Parag showcased all of his variations. The youngster has a conventional off-break that turns big, a leg-break that also turns big, a carrom ball, and a googly. While his length control does have room for improvement, he showed enough promise to suggest that he can become a reliable T20 bowler soon.
Given his immense pedigree with the bat, Parag could become an integral member of the Indian T20I side over the next decade.
#1 Suryakumar Yadav's leadership was refreshing
India made a bold call to name Suryakumar Yadav as their T20I captain, ahead of the likes of Hardik Pandya. Based on his first showing in Sri Lanka, the think tank and the selectors seem to have made the right decision.
Not only is Suryakumar a calm head with astute tactical brains, but he also has the boldness to make decisions on the fly. He ensured that his fringe bowlers got enough time to roll their arm over, and in the final T20I, made sure that the batters who hadn't featured prominently were promoted up the order.
Of course, Gambhir needs to be credited for some of these changes, but Suryakumar barely put a foot wrong throughout the series. He was at his destructive best with the bat as well, suggesting that India's team is in good hands.