The India national cricket team will be without veteran cricketers Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for the three-match T20I series against the Sri Lanka national cricket team, starting on July 27. However, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will return to the team for the three-match ODI series during the same Sri Lanka tour.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirement from the shorter international format last month. The veteran batting duo made the announcement after guiding the Indian team to victory over South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2024 final. The Men in Blue secured a seven-run victory in a nail-biting game.
There were reports suggesting that Rohit and Virat would rest from the three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka. However, they made themselves available after a request from new head coach Gautam Gambhir. The team management wants the duo to play all six ODI matches before the Champions Trophy 2025.
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli To Join India Squad By July 29
Rohit Sharma, the captain of the Indian ODI team, recently returned to India from the United States of America (USA) after completing his vacation. Virat Kohli, on the other hand, is currently in London with his wife and children. Both are set to reach Sri Lanka by July 29, according to the latest news reports.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will reach Sri Lanka by 29th July. 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/nyHjyhAtJa
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 27, 2024
Rohit Sharma has a chance to surpass Rahul Dravid and become the fourth-highest run scorer for India in ODIs during the upcoming series in Sri Lanka. Rohit is currently in fourth place in the batting charts, behind Sachin Tendulkar (18,426), Virat Kohli (13,848), Sourav Ganguly (11,221), and Rahul Dravid (10,768).
Virat Kohli needs just 152 more runs to complete 14,000 ODI runs in his illustrious career. The 35-year-old batter will become the second Indian to reach this milestone if he achieves it in the upcoming three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka. Overall, he will join Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara in the elite list.
Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal To Replace Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli in T20Is
With Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma absent, T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir needed to identify the best new openers. They selected Shubman Gill, the new vice-captain, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, a talented left-hander. Both players are experienced in international cricket and the shorter format.
Shubman Gill has played 19 T20Is, scoring 505 runs at an average of 29.71 and a strike rate of 139.50. He has smashed one century and three half-centuries in his brief career. The right-handed batter was India’s top scorer in the recent five-match T20I series in Zimbabwe, amassing 170 runs at an average of 42.50.
Yashasvi Jaiswal has scored 643 runs in 20 T20I matches at an average of 37.82 and a strike rate of 162.78, including one century and five half-centuries. He was part of India’s T20 World Cup 2024-winning squad but didn’t get a chance in the playing XI. Jaiswal scored 141 runs in three matches during the Zimbabwe tour.
Also read: ‘With retirements of legends…’ – Scott Styris rips into BCCI for Abhishek Sharma’s Sri Lanka tour snub
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