SL vs IND: Will the lack of big names and experience impact Team India?
With a new-look India squad heading to Sri Lanka for an ODI+T20I tour, the question that looms large over the team is whether they will miss the big names.
With the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma set to miss the trip to Sri Lanka, the opportunity is ripe for the new names to impress. Meanwhile, other more seasoned players will look to use the tour to make a comeback to the first-team squad.
The suspension of IPL 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic means the selected players are practically being rewarded for their performances in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the first half of the IPL.
SL vs IND: Can Team India cope without their main stars?
While there is no doubt India has a plethora of talent at its disposal, the absence of many important players is hard to ignore. This may just hamper the visitors when the game scenario tilts in favor of Sri Lanka at any point in these six matches.
India will look to improve on aspects such as game awareness, temperament, and maturity that can supplement the rich talent that takes the field. Quite simply, the tour is a litmus test against a side that is in the midst of a rebuild itself.
This is where promising players like Suryakumar Yadav, Navdeep Saini and Ishan Kishan can try and make a case for themselves with the ICC T20 World Cup looming large.
With Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav available, there is some experience on paper. However, many of these names have blown hot and cold in the recent past and the onus will be on the young guns.
Sri Lanka are currently playing their ODI series against Bangladesh and have seen a major revamp in the side. Seniors like Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews and Lahiru Thirimanne were overlooked, and Kusal Perera was named skipper, succeeding Dimuth Karunaratne.
Although they lost the first of their three-match ODI series against Bangladesh, India's think-tank will keep a keen eye out to assess the competition.
According to a proposed itinerary from SLC, India will play the three ODIs on July 13, 16 and 19 and the three T20Is will be on July 22, 24 and 27. The squad is expected to arrive in Sri Lanka on July 5.
The players will serve a week-long quarantine beginning with three days of hard quarantine in hotel rooms followed by four days of training. However, movement will be strictly restricted between the hotel and the ground.