3 players who were unlucky to miss out on India's squad for the Sri Lanka ODI series ft. Yashasvi Jaiswal
Team India have named their squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, which will commence on August 2 in Colombo. The 2023 World Cup finalists have named a fairly strong contingent for the assignment.
Rohit Sharma will lead India once again, with Shubman Gill being named as his deputy. Riyan Parag and Harshit Rana could make their respective ODI debuts in Sri Lanka, while Shivam Dube and Khaleel Ahmed were surprise picks in the squad.
ODI squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana.
At the same time, however, there are a couple of names who arguably should've been picked. On that note, here are three players who were unlucky to miss out on India's squad for the Sri Lanka ODI series.
#3 Yashasvi Jaiswal
Yashasvi Jaiswal has established himself as one of India's first-choice openers in both Tests and T20Is but is yet to make his ODI debut. There's no reason why he can't succeed in 50-over cricket; in fact, it's arguable that it's his best format.
India haven't picked a backup opener in the squad for the Sri Lanka ODIs, and that's a rather strange call. Jaiswal, who averages 53.96 in List A cricket, definitely deserves a run in the format at the international level. He is a generational talent who needs to play as many games as possible in the lead-up to the 2025 Champions Trophy and the 2027 World Cup.
#2 Ruturaj Gaikwad
Ruturaj Gaikwad hasn't done much in the six ODIs he has played to date, but that's largely because he hasn't been given a consistent run of matches. The Chennai Super Kings skipper does have issues against the movement, but he has everything it takes to be a successful middle-order batter in the 50-over format.
It's arguable that like Jaiswal, Gaikwad's best format in ODIs. He last played in South Africa late last year, but he can't be judged on his performances in that series, which proved tricky for batters from both sides.
Gaikwad averages close to 60 in List A cricket and could also be successful at the international level.
#1 Sanju Samson
The aforementioned South Africa series saw bowlers from both sides run riot, but one man came up with a truly memorable display. Sanju Samson, who smashed a sensational century in the decider of the three-match rubber, hasn't been picked in the ODI squad against Sri Lanka.
KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant's presence as wicket-keepers may have prevented the selectors from looking in Samson's direction, but with Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja absent, the lower-middle order looks thin. Samson, who has done well in those positions, deserved to be in the mix.