4 Players Who Can Lead Team India In Sri Lanka In Absence Of Virat Kohli And Rohit Sharma

The BCCI has scheduled for a three-match ODI and three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka in the month of July and the big guns will not be part of the squad. The Indian skipper Virat Kohli and vice-captain Rohit Sharma won’t be part of the Sri Lanka series as they will be in England for the World Test Championship finals and a five-match test series in England.

This has meant that a new skipper will be announced for the Sri Lanka tour and it will be a great opportunity for the youngsters to shine in the absence of senior players. With the T20 Worldcup coming up in October, this could be the last chance to make a strong case for themselves. Here are 4 players who can lead team India in Sri Lanka in absence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

4 Players Who Can Lead Team India In Sri Lanka:

Shikhar Dhawan:

Shikhar Dhawan was in terrific form in the IPL recently and finished at the top in the race for the orange cap. He is one of the senior pros in the team and with not much experience left in the squad, it is time for him to take up the captaincy and lead the team in absence of Kohli and Rohit.

Dhawan looks to be playing at his prime best and he has worked certainly in the shortest formats. His strike rate has been moving up in the last two years and he looks a completely different player in IPL. He has done a fair bit of captaincy in IPL before for the Hyderabad franchise but is more of a big match player than a leader. This will be the best time for him to prove his captaincy credentials.

KL Rahul:

KL Rahul has done really well in the limited games he has captained India and he is a better option for the captaincy. But he has been named in the Test squad and will travel to England if he clears the fitness test in time. But it will be a difficult task for him with his surgery recently and if he doesn’t travel to England, he could be the first choice captain for India against Sri Lanka.

KL Rahul is a vastly improved player in limited-overs cricket and he has upgraded himself to the very best in the team. He has some phenomenal numbers in the last two years and has kept for India really well. He has also been playing the finisher role to perfection to number five and he has been captaining the Punjab franchise in the IPL. He will be ready for the challenge if it comes his way.

Shreyas Iyer:

Shreyas Iyer should be fit and ready by the time of the Sri Lanka tour and if he regains fitness, he will surely be a perfect candidate for the captaincy position. Iyer has been a great contributor for India in limited-overs games in the last two years and he has owned the number four position in the team now.

He was unfortunate to not take part in the IPL this year after suffering from a shoulder injury and he had to undergo surgery that needed months to recover. If Iyer can make it to the squad, he will be a great prospect as he has shown his captaincy skills in the IPL for the last two years taking his franchise to the playoffs continuously.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar:

Bhuvneshwar Kumar wasn’t named in the Test squad which was very surprised with his experience in the English conditions and also with the amount of swing he can generate. However, it has opened up an opportunity for him to become the leader of India in the Sri Lanka tour in the absence of senior players.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has led his franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad in the past when David Warner wasn’t available and he did a good job. He bowled really well in the previous series against England and showed that he can be the leader of the attack which makes a choice for the captaincy too. He has a lot of experience in international cricket and will be a contender to be the skipper.