3 notable absentees from Team India's squad for the Sri Lanka ODI series
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently announced Team India's squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka. The assignment will commence on January 10, with Guwahati, Kolkata and Trivandrum set to host the encounters.
Rohit Sharma has been named as captain after a spell on the sidelines due to injury, while Hardik Pandya will serve as his deputy. Although Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja were presumably unavailable for selection, the selectors have released no official news regarding the squad.
India's squad for the 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, and Arshdeep Singh.
A few big names missed out on the contingent. Here are three notable absentees from Team India's squad for the Sri Lanka ODI series.
#3 Shikhar Dhawan
Shikhar Dhawan has endured a tough calendar year, with both his average and his strike rate reaching abysmal lows. The veteran batter, who recently turned 37, was under pressure to deliver big runs, but a series of low scores seems to have forced him out of the side.
Dhawan had even captained the Men in Blue in a few assignments over the last year and a half. The selectors appear to have made a reasonable call, though, with other openers performing well and contributing more to the team's cause than the southpaw.
It might be tough for Dhawan to stage a comeback to the ODI side ahead of the 2023 World Cup on home soil.
#2 Sanju Samson
A player who has never found consistent favor with the selectors, Sanju Samson was omitted from the squad for the Sri Lanka ODI series despite several promising outings in the format of late.
Samson has played in the lower-middle order for most of his 11-match ODI career and has superb numbers, with an average of 66 and a strike rate of 104.76. He has played nine of his 10 innings at Nos. 5 and 6 and has adapted to a hugely challenging role admirably.
However, for some reason known only to them, the selectors decided to look past Samson for now.
#1 Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant's T20I form has been terribly underwhelming, but he seemed to have become an integral cog in India's ODI wheel. In 10 innings in 2022, he amassed 336 runs at an average of 37.33 and a strike rate of 96.55.
Only two innings ago, Pant smashed a match-winning hundred against England at Old Trafford while under severe pressure. He has also been incredible in red-ball cricket for the country. However, the 25-year-old wasn't named in either limited-overs squad for the Sri Lanka series.
Ishan Kishan's double hundred and KL Rahul's adaptation to No. 5 have lessened India's need for another wicketkeeper, but Pant should definitely be above the former in the pecking order owing to his displays over the last two years.
It could even be argued that the young left-handed batter should be picked ahead of Rahul, who hasn't inspired much confidence across formats of late.