After T20 Captaincy Snub, Hardik Pandya Uncertain For Champions Trophy 2025 In Pakistan; This Young All-Rounder Might Replace Him – Check Here

India is preparing for a trip to Sri Lanka, where they will play a three-match T20I series followed by three ODIs. This tour will mark the first assignment for Gautam Gambhir as the head coach of the Indian team. The ODI series, in particular, holds significance as it will serve as crucial preparation for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to take place in Pakistan in February.

Hardik Pandya, a key player in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 victory, faces a setback as he has not been selected as the captain for the T20I series against Sri Lanka. Furthermore, his place in the squad for the Champions Trophy 2025 is uncertain. Pandya will need to prove his form in domestic cricket, specifically by consistently bowling 10 overs per match. With the tournament being held in subcontinent conditions, India is looking at Washington Sundar and Axar Patel as the primary all-rounders for the Champions Trophy. Additionally, 21-year-old pace-bowling all-rounder Nitish Reddy is also under consideration.

Pandya’s absence from the T20I squad is notable, given that he was the vice-captain during the T20 World Cup 2024. Suryakumar Yadav, who captained the team in the tournament, is leading the squad for the series against Sri Lanka. Shubman Gill has been named the vice-captain, while Pandya was not even selected as the deputy.

In the ODI series, Rohit Sharma returns to captain the Indian team after a long hiatus since the T20 World Cup. Virat Kohli also makes his comeback to the ODI squad. Jasprit Bumrah, due to workload management, misses out on the series. Pandya’s absence is attributed to a personal break, and Shivam Dube has been included in his place. Shreyas Iyer returns to the ODI squad for the first time since being dropped from the BCCI central contract list earlier this year.

India’s T20 And ODI Squad For Srilanka Tour

ODI Squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Ꮪhubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana.

T20I Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Ꮪhubman Gill (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohd. Siraj.