Gautam Gambhir vs Virat Kohli reignited as Head Coach's new demand blocks BCCI; Hardik Pandya OUT of Sri Lanka ODIs

The newly-appointed head coach of the Indian cricket team, Gautam Gambhir, wants to have senior stars Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah in the squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka next month, amidst reports of them getting rest for the tour.

The media reports claimed that Kohli, Rohit, and Bumrah will be rested for the ODI series, keeping in mind the hectic schedule ahead, especially with nine Tests lined up for Team India. On the other hand, star all-rounder Hardik Pandya is expected to miss the ODI series against the Sri Lanka Cricket Team in August.

Hardik Pandya set to miss Sri Lanka ODI; Gautam Gambhir insists on Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah's selection

According to a report in The Indian Express, Pandya is a strong candidate for India’s T20I captaincy after Rohit announced his retirement from the format last month. The report further claimed that Pandya will miss India’s ODI leg of the Sri Lanka tour for personal reasons.

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The Indian cricket team is all set to play three T20Is and three ODIs on their upcoming tour of Sri Lanka in July-August, and the BCCI and national selectors are expected to announce the squads on Tuesday, July 16. This tour will be Gambhir's first assignment as the head coach of Team India.

Notably, Pandya last featured in an ODI against Bangladesh in October 2023 during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in India. He had sustained an injury during the group match and was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament.

Well, the Indian Express report revealed that Pandya has communicated his unavailability for the upcoming ODI series in Sri Lanka to the BCCI, citing personal reasons. Pandya's absence will present a great opportunity for Shivam Dube to establish himself as a key fast-bowling all-rounder in India's ODI lineup if he gets selected.

Gautam Gambhir cites "six-week break" to bring the seniors back to the action

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja are likely to extend their break following the T20 World Cup 2024. Contrary to the speculations, Gautam Gambhir is eager to bring these senior players back for the ODI series, as they will have a long break after the Sri Lanka tour.

The Men in Blue’s white-ball tour of Sri Lanka will kick off with the first T20I on July 27, while the ODI series will start on August 2, with the final match scheduled for August 7. After this series, the Indian team has a six-week break before their first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai on September 19.

Given that, Gambhir wants the senior players to play in the ODI series against Sri Lanka. However, as of now, Kohli, Rohit, Jadeja, and Bumrah have not reportedly responded to Gambhir's request. Notably, both Rohit and Kohli are currently on vacation with their families abroad.

Suryakumar Yadav is ahead of Hardik Pandya in race for India's T20I captaincy

Reports also suggest that Hardik Pandya might lose out to Suryakumar Yadav for the position of India's T20I captain due to concerns about his fitness. It is being said that Suryakumar's leadership has been well-received within the Indian dressing room, making him a strong contender to replace Rohit as India’s captain in the shorter format of the game.

A BCCI source was quoted as saying by The Indian Express: “It is a delicate matter. There is an argument on both sides of the debate and thus everyone is not on the same page. Hardik’s fitness is an issue but he played a big role in breaking India’s ICC jinx. As for Suryakumar, we have received feedback from the team that his captaincy style was well received by the dressing room.”