The Indian cricket team is set to step into a new era in T20I cricket history under a new captain and new head coach. The 2024 T20 World Cup winners have undergone a couple of massive changes in their camp ahead of their Sri Lanka tour.
Right after Rahul Dravid decided to step down as Indian head coach after the T20 World Cup, BCCI started to hunt down a perfect replacement for the former Indian skipper. While they were busy selecting the new head coach for team India, 2024 T20 World Cup-winning captain Rohit Sharma announced his T20I retirement.
Along with Rohit, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja announced T20I retirement and pushed Indian fans into great agony. Though, Gautam Gambhir was confirmed to replace Dravid as head coach before the official announcement, the answer to “Who will be the new T2OI captain” remains unanswered.
While everyone expected Hardik to replace Rohit as T20I captain, BCCI named Suryakumar Yadav as the new T20I captain. One part of Indian cricket fans was left heartbroken as BCCI crowned SKY as the new T20I captain and started to compare Suryakumar Yadav’s cricket history with Hardik Pandya’s.
But BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar stepped forward and revealed the reason for naming Suryakumar Yadav as the T20I Captain in a press conference ahead of the Sri Lanka tour.
With great shoes to fill in the T20I format, the fans were eager to know the playing 11 for today’s game against Sri Lanka at Pallekele.
Though today Indian cricket team players list will be revealed at the time of the toss, here we have predicted the probable playing 11 for SL vs IND 1st T20I at Pallekele.
Yashasvi Jaiswal is expected to open the inning with Shubman Gill while Washington Sundar, Axar Patel and Rinku Singh/Shivam Dube are expected to fill the middle order. Rinku Singh will have a higher chance of getting into the playing 11 compared to Shivam Dube.
But Dube’s bowling skills might grab him an opportunity to play for India today. Rishabh Pant will be India’s only pick for the wicketkeeper role in today’s game while Hardik Pandya will glue his position with his outstanding performance in the T20 World Cup 2024 final.
SL vs IND 1st T20I Probable Playing 11
India: Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh/Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj.
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis (wk), Charith Asalanka (c), Dasun Shanaka, Kamindu Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dilshan Madushanka, Matheesha Pathirana, Binura Fernando
