What is the road ahead for Jadeja, Shami, Hardik and Rahul?

After the announcement of India’s squads for the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, the immediate headlines focussed on Suryakumar Yadav’s appointment as T20I captain and the fact that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were playing the three-match ODI series in preparation for the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Several other questions, though, remain. ESPNcricinfo has gone behind the scenes to bring you the answers, a day before newly appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar address India’s pre-departure press conference.

Is Ravindra Jadeja now a Test-only player?

Jadeja, who announced his T20I retirement after the World Cup, was not named in the ODI squad for the Sri Lanka tour, leading to doubts over his 50-overs future. However, it is learned that the selectors have reassured Jadeja that he is only being rested and he remains India’s primary spin-bowling allrounder. There are two main reasons why Jadeja has been given a break. One, both the selectors and Gambhir are keen to give Axar Patel a chance in ODIs and see if he can play the same role he has successfully performed in T20Is. With just three ODIs in the Sri Lanka series, the selectors and Gambhir agreed that having two left-arm-spin-bowling allrounders would be a surplus.

The second reason is that Jadeja is a key member of India’s Test line-up both home and away, a crucial cog in balancing their XI. India are scheduled to play 10 Tests – five at home and five in Australia – from September 2024 to January 2025, and they are looking to keep Jadeja, who is 35 and has missed a number of matches with injury over the last three years, as fresh as possible for those matches.

What is the status of Mohammed Shami?

Shami has played no competitive cricket since the 2023 World Cup final in Ahmedabad on November 19. Currently, the fast bowler is at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru where he has begun to bowl after undergoing surgery on his Achilles tendon earlier this year. The selectors haven’t yet marked a definitive return date on their calendar for Shami, but they are keen to see him feature in one if not both Test series India are scheduled to play at home – against Bangladesh (September) and New Zealand (October-November) – before they depart for their 2024-25 tour of Australia. It is understood that in case Shami has no fitness concerns the selectors could consider him for the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Has Kuldeep Yadav been rested from T20Is?

Yes, Kuldeep, who is part of the ODI squad, has been given a break from the T20Is and remains India’s frontline spinner in that format. The selectors want Ravi Bishnoi to gain more experience and believe he is the best option to be India’s second wristspinner behind Kuldeep.

Is this the end of the road for Yuzvendra Chahal?

While this might appear to be the case from the outside, the selectors will continue to keep the senior legspinner in their list of back-ups. Chahal was the fourth spinner picked in India’s T20 World Cup squad, but did not get to play any of their games. What goes against Chahal is the fact that his utility is restricted to just his bowling. He isn’t the strongest in the field and is a genuine No. 11 as a batter. The selectors continue to believe Chahal is an extremely good bowler, but feel he will have to bide his time for now. If he does get an opportunity, he will need to cash in to keep his currency strong.

Why is Hardik Pandya not in the ODI squad?

Hardik, it is believed, had asked for a break during the ODI leg of the tour, though the reason could not be confirmed. Hardik has not played 50-overs cricket since hurting his ankle during the World Cup in November. While Hardik provides the ideal balance to India’s XI when he’s available, the selectors are concerned that he has not been able to bowl his full 10-overs quota when he has played. The 2019 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand was the last time he did so. Since then, he has bowled 27 times in 32 ODIs, without once completing his full quota.

Keeping Hardik’s injury issues in mind, the selectors have decided to focus on providing more exposure to the back-ups including seam-bowling allrounders Shivam Dube and Nitish Kumar Reddy (who suffered a hamstring injury and had to pull out of the recent Zimbabwe tour), and spin-bowling allrounders Axar, Washington Sundar and Riyan Parag, whose inclusion for the Sri Lanka ODIs came as something of a surprise. However, the selectors view him as an option who can bat in India’s top six and bowl at least a few overs.

Is KL Rahul still an all-format player?

Rahul’s omission from the T20 World Cup squad was a clear signal from this selection panel that he was not part of their plans. This remains the case, as can be seen from Rahul’s non-selection for the T20I tour of Zimbabwe and the T20I leg of the Sri Lanka tour. But it is understood that Rahul remains a key player in the other two formats, where the leadership group and the selectors firmly believe in his ability. Rahul was India’s captain when they last played ODIs on the tour of South Africa earlier this year, and was part of their first XI in the Test series against England that followed, but quadriceps and knee injuries kept him out after the first Test. Rahul’s injury issues and the stiff competition for places will keep him on his toes.

At the 2023 World Cup, Rahul kept wickets in the absence of Rishabh Pant, who missed the tournament while recovering from injuries suffered in a life-threatening accident. While the selectors have named both Pant and Rahul as wicketkeepers for the ODI leg of the Sri Lanka tour, Dhruv Jurel, who made his India debut during the England Test series earlier this year, is understood to be seen as the main back-up keeper across formats. Rahul’s return is also the reason Sanju Samson could not find a spot in the 50-overs squad for Sri Lanka series, despite having scored a century in his most recent ODI.

What about Mayank Yadav and Mohsin Khan?

Mayank Yadav’s electric speeds during the early part of IPL 2024 created a buzz around him, leading some to ask if he could be part of India’s pace battery for the Australia tour at the end of the year. The BCCI also added Mayank to the list of fast bowlers with developmental contracts earlier this year. However, the Delhi and Lucknow Super Giants fast bowler was soon ruled out of the IPL with a side injury. While he recovered from that injury, he is understood to have picked up a separate injury while bowling at the NCA. Mayank has only played one first-class match to date; he would be expected to prove his match fitness in domestic red-ball cricket before he is considered for Test cricket at least.

As for Mohsin, who was Mayank’s team-mate at LSG, he has a lower-back injury. The selectors have been keen to consider the left-arm fast bowler from Uttar Pradesh in T20Is but Mohsin has been riddled with injuries including the career-threatening limb injury he suffered in 2023.

Why is Tilak Varma not part of the T20I squad?

Tilak, who plays for Mumbai Indians in the IPL, has been among the most compelling young batting talents to emerge in the last two years. He played 16 T20Is and four ODIs in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup, but missed out on the shortlist for the tournament after suffering a freak hand injury at the end of the IPL season. It is understood that while he has recovered from that injury, he has since injured his other hand at the NCA, though details are yet to be confirmed. This is why he wasn’t part of the Zimbabwe tour or in the T20I squad in Sri Lanka.