India squads for SL tour – Road ahead of Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul
However, several questions remain. ESPNcricinfo went behind the scenes to bring you the answers, a day before newly appointed coach Gautam Gambhir and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar addressed India’s pre-departure press conference.
Jadeja, who announced his retirement from T20Is after the World Cup, was not named in the ODI squad to tour Sri Lanka, leading to doubts over his 50-overs future. However, it is understood that the selectors have assured Jadeja that he is just resting and is still India’s best spin-bowler. There are two main reasons why Jadeja was given a break. First, the selectors and Gambhir are keen to give Axar Patel a chance in ODIs and see if he can play the role he has played successfully in T20Is. With only three ODIs in the Sri Lanka series, the selectors and Gambhir agreed that having two left-arm spin-bowling all-rounders would be a surplus.
The second reason is that Jadeja is a key member of India’s Test line-up both at home and abroad, an important factor in balancing their XI. India are scheduled to play 10 Tests – five at home and five in Australia – from September 2023 to January 2024, and are looking to keep Jadeja, 35 and who has missed many matches through injury over the past three years, as fresh as possible in that games.
Shami has not played 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 started bowling after undergoing Achilles tendon surgery earlier this year. The selectors have yet to put an exact return date on their calendar for Shami, but are keen to see him play one if not both of the series India are scheduled to play at home – with Bangladesh (September) and New Zealand (October -November) – before they leave for their 2024 Australia tour. 25. It is understood that if Shami does not have fitness concerns, the selectors may consider him for the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Of course, Kuldeep, who is part of the ODI squad, has been given a break in the T20Is and remains India’s leading run-getter that way. The selectors want Ravi Bishnoi to gain more experience and believe that he is the best option to be India’s second-arm spinner after Kuldeep.
Although this may seem so from the outside, the selectors will continue to keep the legspinner high on their list of backups. Chahal became the fourth spinner to be named in India’s T20 World Cup squad, but he was unable to play any of their matches. The opposite of Chahal is that his usage is limited to his batting only. He is not the strongest in the field and is a real number 11 as a batsman. The selectors continue to believe that Chahal is an extremely talented bowler, but feel that he will have to bide his time for now. If he gets the chance, he’ll need to cash out to keep his money strong.
Hardik is believed to have asked for time off during the ODI tournament, although the reason has not been confirmed. Hardik has not played 50-over cricket since injuring his ankle during the World Cup in November. Although Hardik gives India a good balance in the XI when he is there, the selectors are worried that he could not bowl his full quota of 10 overs during his playing time. 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 completing his full average.
Rahul’s omission from the T20 World Cup squad was a clear sign to the selectors that he was not part of their plans. This remains the case, as seen in Rahul’s non-selection for the T20I tour in 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 management team and selectors strongly believe in his potential. Rahul captained India during their last ODI tour of South Africa earlier this year, and was part of their starting XI for the subsequent Test series against England, but quadriceps and knee injuries ruled him out after the first Test . Rahul’s injury problems and stiff competition for places will keep him on his toes.
Mayank Yadav’s electric pace at the start of IPL 2024 has created a buzz around him, leading some to question whether he could be part of India’s pace battery for the tour of Australia later this year. BCCI also added Mayank to the list of fast bowlers with developmental contracts earlier this year. However, the Delhi and Lucknow Super Giants fast bowlers were early ruled out of the IPL due to side injuries. Although he has recovered from that injury, it is understood he suffered a different injury while bowling at the NCA. Mayank has played only one first-class match so far; he is expected to prove his fitness in domestic red-ball cricket before he is considered for Test cricket at least.
Tilak, who plays for Mumbai Indians in the IPL, is one of the talented young batsmen to emerge in the last two years. He played 16 T20Is and four ODIs before the T20 World Cup, but missed out on the squad for the tournament after sustaining a serious hand injury at the end of the IPL season. It is understood that although he has recovered from that injury, he has also injured his other hand at the NCA, although the details are yet to be confirmed. That is why he was not part of the Zimbabwe tour or the T20I team in Sri Lanka.
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