Ruturaj Gaikwad or Abhishek Sharma? Gautam Gambhir finalizes backup opener for Sri Lanka T20Is

The Indian National Cricket Team will undergo a significant change under newly appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir, who replaced his former teammate Rahul Dravid. Gautam Gambhir will start his role with the team’s upcoming white-ball tour to Sri Lanka, which includes three T20I matches and as many ODIs.

Rahul Dravid guided the Men in Blue to the title during his last assignment as head coach at the T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and USA. Senior batters Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja announced their T20I retirements. The selectors will have to pick their replacements for the upcoming series.

Several young players, including Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, are waiting for their chance to replace Rohit Sharma. Ruturaj Gaikwad excelled in India's 4-1 series win over Zimbabwe. However, Ruturaj is reportedly not in Gautam Gambhir's plans for the Sri Lanka series.

Ruturaj Gaikwad To Be Dropped From India's T20I Squad - Report

As per a report by Anandabazar Patrika, Gautam Gambhir is expected to pick Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill as the first-choice openers for the Indian T20I team against Sri Lanka. Young all-rounder Abhishek Sharma is likely to be the backup opener in the Indian national cricket team, ahead of Ruturaj Gaikwad.

Abhishek Sharma delivered standout performances with the bat in the recent T20I series against Zimbabwe. The left-handed batter amassed 124 runs in four matches at an average of 31.0 and an impressive strike rate of 174.6. The 23-year-old batter scored a century in his second innings, hitting the ton in just 46 balls.

Ruturaj Gaikwad, on the other hand, scored 133 runs in four matches at an impressive average of 66.50 and a strike rate of 158.33. The right-handed batter smashed two half-centuries in the series, with a best score of 77*. The CSK skipper was rested for the fifth and final match of the series in Zimbabwe.

Hardik Pandya To Lead India T20I Team In Upcoming Series In Sri Lanka

The report added that all-rounder Hardik Pandya is set to return to the team after the 2024 T20 World Cup. Hardik will lead the team, and Suryakumar Yadav will be named vice-captain. Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Mohammed Siraj are also expected to rejoin the squad.

There are speculations about Shreyas Iyer potentially being selected for the series, but uncertainty remains regarding his and Ishan Kishan's inclusion, given their central contracts were terminated earlier this year.

Riyan Parag, Sai Sudharsan, who made their T20I debuts against Zimbabwe, and Jitesh Sharma are expected to be left out of the Sri Lanka tour. Gautam Gambhir will meet with the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee to finalize the squad for the upcoming series, which is scheduled to commence in Pallekele on July 27.

Also read: IND vs SL: India squad to be announced today; Gautam Gambhir and Selection Committee in a fix over new T20I captain