IND vs SL: Who will lead India's bowling attack?
A second-string India team will travel to Sri Lanka for the limited-overs series in July due to the absence of players who will be part of the UK-bound Test team led by Virat Kohli the following month.
While the organizers are yet to announce the complete schedule, the Men in Blue will play three ODIs and T20Is each. The bilateral series will be the perfect stage for youngsters to make their mark ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup scheduled for later this year.
With the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj set to be away with the Test squad, it remains to be seen who all makes it to the limited-overs side. Keeping that in mind, here's how India's predicted pace bowling attack for the Sri Lanka series could shape up:
#1) Bhuvneshwar Kumar
After missing out on India's Test squad bound for England, Bhuvneshwar Kumar will look to redeem himself on the white-ball tour. The senior pacer, who was out of action due to injury, made a return to international cricket during the England series earlier this year, bagging six wickets from three ODIs.
With all the senior cricketers away, Kumar will have additional responsibilities in the series against the Islanders. The 31-year-old will be desperate to prove himself ahead of the global T20 event later this year.
#2) Deepak Chahar
Ever since his rise as a T20 bowler playing for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, Deepak Chahar has managed to book a berth in the T20Is. His ability to swing the new ball and hit the yorker length in the death overs makes him a rare component of the line-up.
The 28-year-old cricketer from Rajasthan has already represented India in three ODIs and 13 T20I matches. Chahar, in all likelihood, will share the new ball with Bhuvneshwar Kumar against Sri Lanka.
#3) T Natarajan
The left-arm pacer from Tamil Nadu grabbed the limelight for his ability to bowl toe-crushing yorkers during IPL 2020. On the back of his impressive performances, Natarajan was rewarded with a national call-up for the series against Australia.
He was initially picked only for the T20 squad but ended up making his debut in all formats.
The 30-year-old, who suffered a niggle during IPL 2021, is expected to recover and travel with the squad. Natarajan will add variety to the bowling attack and be a force to reckon with in the death overs.
#4) Navdeep Saini
The tall, lanky fast bowler from Karnal hasn't had the best of outings in the last couple of months. After losing favor with the Indian side, Navdeep Saini was not in the good books of skipper Virat Kohli in the IPL.
He played only one game against Chennai Super Kings and returned with figures of 0/27. The absence of first-choice seamers will be a good stage for Saini to reclaim his spot in the Indian side.
The 28-year-old has pace and bounce but will have to get his rhythm back in Indian colours to cement his berth.
Who will lead India's pace attack?
With most of the other fast bowlers in the squad being fairly new to international cricket, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has 117 ODIs and 48 T20Is under his belt, is expected to lead the pace battery.
The cricketer from Meerut has shouldered the job in the past as well and will look to live up to the expectations of the selectors.
Along with the pacers, the spinners will have a key role to play in the spin-friendly tracks in Sri Lanka. A new set of slow bowlers will travel with the squad as well. With a couple of T20 World Cup spots still up for grabs, they will look to make the most of the opportunity.
#1) Yuzvendra Chahal
Chahal has had a difficult couple of months as he struggled to bring out his best. The leg-spinner from Haryana also didn't enjoy the most productive of outings in the IPL, picking up just four wickets from seven outings.
He will look to hit the chords against a depleted Sri Lankan side and regain the trust of India's selectors.
#2) Rahul Chahar
The junior of the Chahar brothers, Rahul has come up the ranks in the last year. His exploits for IPL side Mumbai Indians have impressed national selectors and he has been traveling with the Indian team as a net bowler for some time.
The upcoming series against Sri Lanka will be the perfect opportunity for the 21-year-old to make his mark. He has shown he can handle the pressure and will look to add to his tally of three international wickets.
#3) Varun Chakravarthy
Varun Chakravarthy from Tamil Nadu has been one of the most unlucky cricketers in recent times. The mystery spinner was picked for India's squad for the Australian T20Is but an injury ruled him out. Subsequently, the selectors added him to the squad for the England series but he failed to clear the fitness test.
The off-spinner, who has left Kuldeep Yadav behind as the first-choice spinner for Kolkata Knight Riders, will be desperate to make this opportunity count. He is most likely to travel with the squad as the third specialist spinner.
Who will lead India's spin attack?
In the absence of Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal will lead the spin attack. He has featured in 54 ODIs and 48 T20I games for India and brings a lot of experience to the table.
A couple of excellent performances against Sri Lanka will put Chahal on top for a T20 World Cup spot.