'Loss to Indian team' - Sanath Jayasuriya's Sri Lanka plans to exploit Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja’s absence

Sri Lanka interim coach Sanath Jayasuriya has urged his team to take maximum advantage of the absence of key Indian players in the upcoming three-match T20I series at home. Sanath Jayasuriya stated that the absence of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja will be a loss for the Indian cricket team.

Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, and Virat Kohli retired from T20I cricket after the Men in Blue's victory in the final match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Suryakumar Yadav has taken over the captaincy of the Indian T20I team. Shubman Gill will serve as deputy to Suryakumar in the upcoming three-match series.

Gautam Gambhir will begin his tenure as head coach of the Indian team during the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka. The selectors have picked strong replacements for the retired trio, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, and Virat Kohli. The Men in Blue will face Sri Lanka in the first T20 match in Pallekele on July 27.

Rohit Sharma And Virat Kohli Are The Best Players - Sanath Jayasuriya

Sanath Jayasuriya described Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as the best players in the world. He stated that their retirement would be a significant loss for India and urged his team to capitalize on this opportunity in the upcoming series.

“Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are the best players in the world. Looking at their talent and the kind of cricket they have played, we all know where they belong, along with Jadeja. Their absence will be a loss to the Indian team, and we have to take maximum advantage out of that," Jayasuriya said ahead of the T20I series (via Sportstar).

Sanath Jayasuriya took over as interim coach after Chris Silverwood stepped down following the 2024 T20 World Cup. Wanindu Hasaranga also resigned as captain after Sri Lanka's failure to reach the Super Eight stages of the T20 tournament in the Caribbean Islands and the United States of America (USA).

Jayasuriya scored 13,430 runs in 445 ODIs, 6,973 in 110 Tests, and 629 in 31 T20Is. He made 42 international centuries, including three double centuries in Tests. The former left-arm spinner took more than 400 wickets in international cricket. He was also named Man of the Series in the 1996 ICC ODI World Cup.

Kusal Perera And Avishka Fernando Return to Sri Lanka T20I Squad For India Series

Sri Lanka have added Kusal Perera and Avishka Fernando, who missed the World Cup, to their squad. They've also selected uncapped all-rounder Chamindu Wickramasinghe, following his strong performances in the Lanka Premier League (LPL).

Sri Lanka's chief selector, Upul Tharanga, announced that Dushmantha Chameera will miss the Twenty20 and the one-day international series against India due to injury. Asitha Fernando is likely to replace Chameera in the Sri Lanka squad.

Following the T20I series, India and Sri Lanka will compete in a three-match ODI series. The first match will be played at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Friday, August 2. The remaining two matches are scheduled at the same venue on August 4 and August 6, respectively.

Also read: Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav snubbed as ex-India coach names the real captain of team India