"Let Abhishek Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad feel hard done by"- Ajit Agarkar's nonchalant verdict

India's chief selector Ajit Agarkar has provided the reason behind the controversial drop of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Abhishek Sharma for India's upcoming tour of Sri Lanka. Both Gaikwad and Abhishek were a part of India's squad in the recently concluded tour of Zimbabwe.

Abhishek slammed a century in just his second match of his international career, scoring a brisk 100 off just 46 balls. Meanwhile, Gaikwad scored 133 runs in four matches at an average of 66.50 and a strike rate of 158.33, showing amazing consistency.

Gaikwad's consistency was excellent despite being moved down to No. 3 and No. 4 due to the crowded opening spots. Not only did he score runs consistently but also scored them at a brisk strike rate.

On the other hand, Abhishek Sharma is seen as a player that India desperately need at the top order. Abhishek's ability to hit big sixes and scoring quick runs in the powerplay makes him a unique batter. On his day, he can take the game away from the opposition. But both the talented players did not find a place in India's squad in any of the formats.

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"We can only pick 15" - Ajit Agarkar

While speaking to the reporters ahead of departing for Sri Lanka, chief selector Ajit Agarkar mentioned that the selectors only pick 15 players in the squad. He gave the example of Rinku Singh who was omitted from India's squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 squad despite playnig exceptionally well in the lead up to the tournament.

"I mean, any player who is dropped will feel hard done by. But our job is to only pick 15. Look at Rinku (Singh), he performed really well ahead of the T20 World Cup, but couldn't make the cut. We can only pick 15," Ajit Agarkar stated.

It is assumed that both Abhishek and Gaikwad are in BCCI's radar for the future. Both have unique sets of skills that separates them from the rest of the team. Alongwith being a big-hitter, Abhishek Sharma is a useful left-arm spinner as well. On the other hand, Ruturaj Gaikwad can play the anchor's role in case of a quick loss of wickets and can also change his gears when needed.

Suryakumar Yadav's first series as India's full-time T20I captain

India's tour of Sri Lanka will begin on July 27 with a three-match T20I series, where Suryakumar Yadav will lead the team for the first time since being appointed as full time captain. Senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will be back for the ODIs and are likely to play all the ODI matches since India have very few international ODIs before the next year's Champions Trophy.

The tour will be Gautam Gambhir's first assignment as India's new head coach and it will be interesting to see how he manages a world-class team under his guidance. While India has fielded a young team for T20Is, the ODI leg will see the return of senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli into the squad.