Team India recently played the two-match Test series against the Bangladesh cricket team as they wrapped up the series by inflicting a 2-0 whitewash on the Tigers and keeping their WTC final hopes alive.
Meanwhile, Team India are gearing up for the upcoming assignments in the fresh calendar year as they will be hosting three different teams – Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Australia.
India will be hosting Sri Lanka for the three-match T20I series and the three-match ODI series. The assignment begins with the first T20I, which is slated to be played on January 3 at Wankhede Stadium.
India announces their T20 and ODI squad against Sri Lanka, Rishabh Pant is not a part of it
Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have announced the T20I and ODI squad against Sri Lanka. Hardik Pandya will be leading the T20I team from the front.
Surprisingly, there is no Rishabh Pant in the T20I and the ODI squad and instead, KL Rahul has been named as the wicketkeeper-batsman for the ODI series against the Sri Lankan cricket team.
The exclusion of Rishabh Pant from both squads is a big surprise to many and the fans expected him to be at least in one of the squads. Earlier, Rishabh Pant himself requested the BCCI to release him from the ODI squad against the Bangladesh ODIs.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are not part of the T20I squad as they will be focusing on the ODIs, given that the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 is slated to be held in India next year. Rohit Sharma will be leading the team for the ODI series against the Lankans.
India’s T20I squad against Sri Lanka:
Hardik Pandya (C), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Yuzi Chahal, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi, Mukesh Kumar
India’s ODI squad against Sri Lanka:
Rohit Sharma (C), Hardik Pandya, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Washington Sundar, Yuzi Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh
No #RishabhPant in both ODI and T20I squad and KL listed as WK… Hmmm! #Enamopodamadhava https://t.co/gpXhaCTugL
— Janardhan Koushik (@koushiktweets) December 27, 2022
No pant in Both ODI & T20I series ๐
— ๐๐ฟ๐ สฐสธแตแตแต แถ แตสณ แตแตสณโฑหขแต (@Goatcheeku_18) December 27, 2022
In t20 he deserved to be dropped but I'm really shocked that he is not there for Odi. KL won't perform everyone knows but they will still stick to him. Hope Rishabh utilises this break to perfect his off side game.
— Sushmita ๐ซ (@DasSushmita) December 27, 2022
Test – Rishabh pant vs eng in series decider match
Odi – Ishan kishan vs bangladesh 200
T2o – virat vs pak in t20 wc— Jeenendra Jain (@Jinuclub18) December 27, 2022
Just because KL Rahul decided to become wicket-keeper, they dropped Rishabh Pant#BCCI #IndianCricketTeam
— Akshay Jagtap (@Akshayjagtap_11) December 27, 2022
Why no Rishabh Pant?
— karthik (@karthik04081991) December 27, 2022
*KL selected ahead of Rishabh Pant
— ๐ฆ๐ถ๐๐๐ฝ๐พ (@iamkarthi_V) December 27, 2022
Rishabh Pant dropped or rested?
Sanju Sanson dropped from ODIs?
Shikhar Dhawan dropped from ODIs?
Bhuvneshwar Kumar won't be in consideration then?
Oh, this was the last from this selection committee
— Aritra Mukherjee (@aritram029) December 27, 2022
