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Team India are set to tour Sri Lanka for a set of white-ball series, which is an important assignment in more ways than one. It officially begins Gautam Gambhir's reign as head coach and is also the first series on the roadmap to both the 2025 Champions Trophy and the 2026 T20 World Cup.
The second string squad's recent success in Zimbabwe makes the selection process tougher, as the aim will be to infuse a bit of youth with the already established T20I framework. Although the playing style has arguably been locked in, there are still a lot of blanks that need to be filled, particularly personnel-wise.
As far as the ODI series is concerned, it marks Team India's first outing in the format since the ODI World Cup and the South Africa series in late 2023.
On that note, let us take a look at five burning questions for India selectors to answer ahead of the Sri Lanka tour.
#1 Does Rishabh Pant walk back into the ODI setup?
Team India have been spoilt for choices in the wicketkeeping department of late. While Rishabh Pant has claimed his spot in the shortest format, can he do the same in ODIs as well, with KL Rahul firmly placed in the middle order?
The right-handed batter lost his place in the T20 setup, but remains a vital cog in the 50-over plans, given that he could lead the team in Rohit Sharma's potential absence.
Sanju Samson scoring a ton in the Men in Blue's last ODI appearance complicates things from a selection standpoint. If the seniors are rested, then at least two out of the aforementioned three candidates can certainly co-exist together in the playing XI, with one of them keeping the wickets.
Rishabh Pant as a left-handed batter coupled with KL Rahul being a playing XI member could be the preferred combination, while Samson may just be confined to the bench yet again.
#2 The T20I skipper conundrum between Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav
At one point, the natural transition from Rohit Sharma to Hardik Pandya as T20I skipper seemed imminent. In fact, the all-rounder was more or less the bonafide captain after the 2022 T20 World Cup, after having led the team in so many bilateral affairs.
Suryakumar Yadav also emerged as a leadership candidate when Hardik Pandya was injured. He led the team to successive series wins against South Africa and Australia. If reports are to be believed, the ace batter is now the favorite to be the permanent captain following Rohit Sharma's retirement from the format.
It certainly seems harsh on Pandya, who oversaw the development of so many players in the current batch in between World Cups. However, from the team's perspective, they are concerned with Pandya's workload and availability concerns.
#3 What will the new T20I top three look like?
The Zimbabwe series gave a peek as to how the new Indian T20I top order will look like after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's departures. Even in the second string series, there was a plethora of options that Ruturaj Gaikwad had to bat in the middle order following Yashasvi Jaiswal's return. That headache will only increase now that Suryakumar Yadav and Rishabh Pant are back in the mix.
Will Suryakumar Yadav promote himself to No.3, much like his batting position with the Mumbai Indians in the IPL? Was the Rishabh Pant No.3 experiment valid only for the T20 World Cup or a long-term deal?
Gill, Jaiswal, and Suryakumar Yadav are likely to make up the bulk of the top four, and if the latter will play at No.4, it leaves a wide array of options for the No.3 slot. The likes of Rishabh Pant, Abhishek Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and even Samson to an extent will be in consideration for the vacant role.
#4 Will the seniors play the ODIs?
Newly appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir has spoken about the importance of all-format players in the past. The all-format seniors were expected to be absent from the entire tour of Sri Lanka, but the new head coach reportedly wants them for the ODI series. Considering that India will only play a handful of matches in the 50-over format before the 2025 Champions Trophy, it is a tricky call.
According to the latest report by Cricbuzz, apparently Rohit Sharma will make himself available for the series, but there is still doubt regarding Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah.
#5 Do Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan deserve a call-up?
The above-mentioned pair caused quite a stir earlier this year by opting not to play domestic cricket and lost their place in the central contract list subsequently. However, a lot has transpired since then.
Shreyas Iyer led the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the title in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL), and a reunion with Gambhir in national colors is imminent. The right-handed batter has arguably not done much wrong in the 50-over setup after a stellar 2023 ODI World Cup campaign.
As far as Ishan Kishan is concerned, his form has been up and down of late, with the 2024 IPL campaign in focus. However, his appeal as a versatile left-handed wicketkeeping option is unquestionable to the selectors, and the Sri Lanka series could perhaps pave the way for a potential comeback.
