India v Sri Lanka 1st ODI: India Predicted XI

After a convincing Test series win against Sri Lanka, India XI will be keen to end their long home season on a high before they fly for the overseas tours. The swashbuckling opener from Mumbai Rohit Sharma will lead this young India XI in the absence of Virat Kohli, who is taking a break after having played a lot of cricket. India XI will play three T20’s followed by the three fifty over games starting from December 10 at Dharamsala.

It will be a learning curve for Rohit Sharma to lead the national team after leading the Mumbai Indians side in the Indian Premier League to victory. India have a good record against Sri Lanka as they recently whitewashed Sri Lanka convincingly on their grounds. With Kohli missing from the squad, it is likely that the experienced Dinesh Karthik will take his place in the no three position.

Here is the India XI for the first ODI:

Shikhar Dhawan: The swashbuckling opener from Delhi has been in tremendous form right from the Champions Trophy in England. The southpaw had a good series against New Zealand and will look to continue his good form to give India a good start.

Rohit Sharma (C): The opener from Mumbai will have added responsibility in the absence of Virat Kohli as he will lead this Indian team. He also had a good series against the Kiwis as he along with Shikhar Dhawan provided good starts to this team on which the middle-order can bank on.

Dinesh Karthik: The batsman from Tamil Nadu who has had a good domestic season will look to capitalize on the opportunity in the absence of Virat Kohli and will be eager to cement his place in the ODI squad.

Manish Pandey: The stylish middle-order batsman from Karnataka has been in and out of the team in the recent past; however, he will be keen to prove his worth and make a mark against a relatively a weaker Sri Lankan bowling attack.

MS Dhoni (WK): Dhoni will be crucial in this young Indian team as he will provide his inputs to newly appointed captain Rohit Sharma. The veteran, who has been under the radar of he criticizers off late, will target this series to hit back at them and prove his credibility once more.

Kedhar Jadhav: The 32-year-old all-rounder possesses the capability to play big shots down the order and can also pick crucial wickets with his round-arm off-spin in the middle overs. He also has a lot to prove and will be eager to be in the good books of the selectors by playing some big knocks.

Hardik Pandya: The young all-rounder is the newborn star in Indian cricket as he has had a brilliant time in the field this year. He has also grown as a cricketer, and this team will bank on him to do well in all the departments. Pandya, after taking a break during the Sri Lanka Test series will be fresh and fit and will be ready to go.

Axar Patel: The tall and lanky left-arm spinner has been a regular in the Indian side after the spinning duo of Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja was dropped from the limited-overs squad. He is known for his economical bowling and can pick wickets at crucial junctures. He is also crucial with the bat down the order and can score quick runs.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar: After missing the last two Test match against Sri Lanka, Kumar will return to the first XI and will lead the bowling attack. He has had a tremendous season so far and will like to continue with the same zeal and provide early breakthroughs.

Yuzvendra Chahal: The young leg-break bowler, who burst into the international scene after having a good stint with Royal Challengers Bangalore has the happy knack of picking wickets. Although at times he can be a bit expensive, but has a lot of prospect for the future.

Jasprit Bumrah: The young Indian fast bowler is oozing with confidence after getting his maiden Test call-up for the South Africa series. His in-swing and death bowling capabilities have earned him accolades all over the world. He will be crucial for India in the death overs.