Playing XI of players to have missed out on India's ODI squad for Sri Lanka series ft. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad
India is set to tour Sri Lanka for a limited-overs series later this month. The team will play three T20Is and as many ODIs in the Island nation.
Leading up to the series, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the T20I and ODI squads on Thursday, July 18. Big names such as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who were expected to be rested, are a part of the 50-over side, with Rohit set to lead in the one-dayers.
However, pacer Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya have been rested. The likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad, who were expected to be a part of the squad, have interestingly been left out.
Besides, several other players failed to make the cut. With the 2025 Champions Trophy soon approaching, every game and opportunity will count with players looking to cement their spot.
With the ODI squad now announced, here is a playing XI of players who potentially missed out.
Playing XI of players to have missed out on India's ODI squad for Sri Lanka series
Openers: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad
Yashasvi Jaiswal impressed in the recently concluded T20I series against Zimbabwe. He has done well so far in Tests and T20Is, being looked upon as a regular in the side going forward.
However, the southpaw is yet to make his ODI debut and it now seems that he may have to wait a little longer. With no backup opener in the squad, Jaiswal missing out comes as a slight surprise.
Ruturaj Gaikwad was also amongst the runs in the Zimbabwe tour. The right-handed opener has played six ODIs to date. However, he has managed to score only 115 runs, averaging 19.16.
Gaikwad did show flexibility, batting at number three and four in the Zimbabwe T20Is, scoring runs as well. He has 4130 runs from 77 List A games.
Middle-order and all-rounders: Sai Sudarshan, Rajat Patidar, Rinku Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Sanju Samson (C&WK)
Sai Sudarshan, who was called up for the Zimbabwe tour (first two T20Is) also missed out. He was a part of the squad in South Africa last year and also made his ODI debut on the tour. Sudarshan impressed with 127 runs from three innings, averaging 63.50 with a couple of fifties as well.
Rajat Patidar, who was also a part of the India squad for the South Africa series last year, is another name not included. He played just one ODI in South Africa and managed to score 22 runs. However, he had a stellar run in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, displaying his fearless approach against spinners in the middle overs.
Part of the T20 World Cup-winning reserve list, Rinku Singh seems to be a big miss. With the lower order looking slightly bleak, a power-hitter and a finisher like Rinku could have been fancied. He has played two ODIs for India, scoring 55 runs at a strike rate of 134.14.
All-rounder and senior player Ravindra Jadeja is a much questionable miss. Jadeja has been a constant feature in all three formats. With Rohit and Virat included, it was likely for Jadeja to be a part of the squad as well. Washington Sundar, who did well with the ball in Zimbabwe, has made it to the squad, which could be a possible reason to leave Jadeja out.
Sanju Samson is another player who could have been a part of the squad. With the likes of Hardik Pandya and Jadeja absent, India will require someone who can provide stability and take on the bowlers in the middle.
However, with two keepers in KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant, it was always going to be tough for Samson to make his place. Samson, who has played 16 ODIs and scored 510 runs with an average of 56.66, could possibly have been included in place of Shivam Dube. He also has a century in his last series against South Africa.
Bowlers: Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan
Shardul Thakur, who is often deemed as a fast-bowling all-rounder, also missed out as he recently underwent a successful foot surgery for a recurring injury in London and is on the recovery path.
Yuzvendra Chahal has turned out to be perhaps one of the most mysterious cases. The leg-spinner has been left out and has no place in the Indian team in any format at the moment.
Chahal has been impressive with 121 wickets from 72 ODIs with a decent record against Sri Lanka as well. He was a part of two consecutive T20 World Cups where he did not get a single game throughout.
Coming to the quicks, Mukesh Kumar put up a fine show against Zimbabwe with the ball. It seemed likely that he would be picked in the ODI setup for the Sri Lanka tour. Mukesh has played six ODIs so far and grabbed five wickets with an economy rate of 5.56.
Similarly, pacer Avesh Khan had a decent outing in Zimbabwe too, picking up six wickets from three T20Is. He has also played eight ODIs and has nine wickets to his name.
Mukesh and Avesh are debatable misses with the likes of Khaleel Ahmed making a return to the ODI side.