"Out of the box!"- Fans react as Team India hand five ODI debuts
As many as five players are making their ODI debut for India in the third game of the series against Sri Lanka. Having already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, the dead rubber is an opportunity for India to test their bench strength.
The five debutants are Sanju Samson, Nitish Rana, Krishnappa Gowtham, Chetan Sakariya and Rahul Chahar. Most of them have done well in the IPL and have been rewarded for their performances. This is the first time since 1980 that India have fielded five debutants in an ODI.
Twitter reacts to multiple India debutants
Fans on Twitter are excited to see so many new faces in the Indian camp. India will also be batting first and that would give them an opportunity to put huge runs on the board. Here is how they reacted to India's playing XI:
Sanju Samson captained the Rajasthan Royals for the first time in the 2021 IPL season and hit a brilliant hundred in the very first game. He has shown maturity as a player but has failed to be consistent in the chances that he has got for India. He will be keen to make an impact on his ODI debut.
Samson's RR teammate Chetan Sakariya's has been quite the story. The young left-arm speedster was brilliant in the first half of the 2021 IPL season with seven wickets in as many games. He will be an X-factor for India with the ball.
The likes of Krishnappa Gowtham and Nitish Rana bring loads of domestic and IPL experience with them respectively. They will be handy with the ball too and might fit into Krunal Pandya's role.
Rahul Chahar had a breakout first half of IPL 2021 season where he picked up 11 wickets from seven games. Many have touted him as India's first choice spinner for the upcoming T20 World Cup. For that to happen, he needs to have a good debut and he will back himself to pick up a few wickets.